


The Fall of Humanity - LoH Splatoon Prequel

by Chigger



Series: Humanity - Splatoon [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cultural Differences, F/M, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-10-20 00:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 49,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10651563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chigger/pseuds/Chigger
Summary: Time and causality are a mysterious concept. Just as mysterious as the ancient rainmaker. A single chance meeting between a human and Octoling changed the fate of the new world. But what if there were no humans? What if this critical event never unfolded? What if the rainmakers secrets were unlocked? Only time will tell. Prequel to The Legacy of Humanity.





	1. Rainmaker

The Fall of Humanity – Loh Splatoon prequel

Time and causality are a mysterious concept. Just as mysterious as the ancient rainmaker. A single chance meeting between a human and Octoling changed the fate of the new world. But what if there were no humans? What if the rainmakers secrets were unlocked? Only time will tell.

**Authors notes**

**This is a short loose prequel to The Legacy of Humanity. While reading the full book isn't required, I recommend reading at least half so you know who the characters are, as I will not be reintroducing them for new readers.**

Chapter 1 – Rainmaker

_We all had dreams of wanting to control time. Who wouldn't want to undo mistakes they made, or see their future lives? But the concept has never come to fruition, and we can clearly see that the elder race had not achieved this. Perhaps time manipulation is simply something that completely defies physics. Or perhaps a God, or some other deity, simply won't allow it. But either way, all we can do is dream. And dream we shall._

_Dr. Inkstein. Grizzco Industries._

Earth 2015 A.D.

A Boy was walking down the side walk of the metropolis that his family was visiting. While they were supposed to be on vacation, the boy's father was actually attending a business meeting. The boy also had no time to relax, as his mother was pressuring him to continue his studies, despite that he had just graduated high school, and expressed his disinterest in following in his father's footsteps. Speaking of footsteps, the boy stopped, as he heard the sounds of someone following him.

"Alice? I thought I told you to stay at the hotel," he said, and turned to the small girl that was tailing him.

"But you promised me that we would go play laser tag today!" The girl said, and puffed her cheeks out a bit.

"Oh, right." The boy sighed a bit. "Sorry, Alice, but I think we are going to put that on hold today."

"You said that yesterday!" She responded.

"I know, but our 'dear mother', is insisting I stay with father today. You know that she thinks I'm going to be the one to carry on the family legacy."

"Oh! I hate her!" Alice said with a look of sympathy. "It's not fair that she won't let us play together!"

"I have no idea why, either. It's not like I'm the academic type, and we both know you're the smart one in the family." The boy rubbed the top of his sister's head, and she giggled a bit. "After all, you skipped an entire grade."

"Who cares about that! You still owe me laser tag!"

"Tomorrow. Father's business is supposed to be concluded today, so I'm sure he can talk to 'that woman' for us." The boy turned to leave again.

"Eh... I can't trust you," Alice replied. The boy turned and gave her a surprised look.

"When have I ever broken a promise?" The boy asked. Alice gave him a rather stern look. "Okay, but when have I not made it up to you?" Alice couldn't refute that, and just looked away. "So just go back to the hotel. We can play a game or something when I come back. Assuming father and I even can come home tonight."

"Fiiinnneeee. But you'd better not break this one." Alice turned away, but not before giving her brother a disappointed look. She started to cross the street, but then they heard the screeching sounds of a car's tires. The boy looked in horror, as a car came barreling down the road, way passed the speed limit.

"ALICE! LOOK OUT!" Neither the brother or the sister could do anything, as the boy's worst fears came to be. The car struck his sister at full speed, and she went tumbling over it. The car didn't even bother to stop, and her now lifeless body hit the pavement. The boy ran over, and pulled his sister close to him. His vision blurred, as he heard the sounds of screaming and sirens in the distance.

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

"We're here at Cape Craw to bring you this special broadcast!" Callie said to the camera. Callie, and her cousin, Marie, were out in the field with the Inkopolis News film crew. There were a number of Inklings and Jellyfish surrounding a large excavation site, about an hour away from Inkopolis.

"To continue yesterdays news, Grizzco has uncovered what looks to be more elder race ruins, and together with several other corporations, such as Tentatek and Ancho-V, have been working around the clock to unearth the secrets from below," Marie said. They turned to the large pit that was being excavated.

"I wonder what kind of new fossils we will be seeing today! I'm hoping for another new video game system!" Callie squealed.

"Wasn't the system that we dug up at Piranha pit enough? We gotta think bigger than that Callie," Marie said with a sigh. "Anyway, let's see what Grizzco has for us today." The two walked up to a uniformed researcher, and he gave the girls a light smile. "Doctor Inkstein. What has your crew learned so far?"

"Hello, girls," The older inkling said.

"Tell me you found a game or something!" Callie said, excitedly.

"Ha-ha, nothing of the sort, yet." Inkstein replied. "But this is one of the most intact dig sites I've ever seen. This whole place seems to have been built underground."

"What do you suppose these ruins were?" Marie asked.

"We don't know yet, but the folks from Tentatek are busy trying to decipher the old writings we found. As for me, I'm here to study the technology." Inkstein held up what looked like a weapon.

"Oh! Is that an Elder race ink gun?" Callie asked, as she looked at the weapon in amazement.

"Callie, what makes you think the Elder race used ink?" Marie said, and shook her head.

"We don't know what kind of weapon this is yet, but I intend to unlock it secrets in my lab tonight. This is the most well preserved weapon we have ever uncovered, and if I can get it repaired, maybe we can finally learn how these old weapons actually worked."

"That's amazing, Doctor. Fran, get a close up of this," Marie said, and the camera zoomed in on the weapon.

"That's our biggest find so far, but I expect to get more as we dig deeper. You should talk to Zara from Tentatek. She can show you the actual fossils we found."

"Sounds pretty fresh! Thanks doc!" Callie said, and gave the older Inkling a big smile.

"You're very welcome, girls." Inkstein said, and turned his attention back to the artifacts that the crew had dug up. Callie and Marie walked over to another part of the excavation site, along with Fran. They spotted Zara, a green Inkling female in her early 20's by a set of fossils that appeared to be Elder race skeletons.

"Excuse me, Zara?" Marie asked, and the female turned to face them.

"Oh, hey! I'm on T.V. With the squid sisters!" Zara said in excitement.

"Hehe, you betcha!" Callie said, and struck a pose.

"Ahem," Marie said, and tapped her toes. "Glad you two are having fun, but Inkstein said you had some fossils to show us?"

"Right over here," Zara said, and pointed to the fossils. Fran moved the camera to a position that gave him a clear view. Several Elder race skeletons could be seen, and they had seemed to be covered in decayed clothes that looked like body armor. "My peers from Tentatek have been working trying to figure out what this site was, and hopefully, learn more about the Elder race culture."

"Have you found anything interesting yet?" Marie asked the Tentatek archaeologist.

"Well, we haven't learned much about the ruins, but we did find these on those fossilized remains." Zara laid out 3 small objects on the table, that appeared to be ancient ID cards. Each card also had a picture. The images were vary faded, but they could make out the basic features of what looked like 2 males, and 1 female.

"NO WAY! ARE THOSE WHAT I THINK THEY ARE?!" Callie yelled, and caught the attention of almost all of the workers and scientists.

"You bet it is," Zara replied. "This is our first real look at what the elder race must have looked like."

"Fran, you'd better be getting this!" Marie said, and Fran zoomed in on the faded pictures.

"I wonder what those weird things on their heads are?" Callie chimed in, as she continued looking at the photos.

"I'm interested in the writing," Marie added, referring to the strange symbols that were in the middle of the cards.

"Oh, you noticed that?" Zara replied. "I'm not one to brag, but I didn't study ancient writings for nothing!" She puffed out her chest with pride. "I haven't gotten much so far, but I do think I have their names figured out." Zara placed several of her notes next to each card. "The two men translate to D-R-A-K-E and B-R-A-N-D-O-N. The female, is H-A-N-N-A-H. Don't ask how to pronounce that, though."

"Dah-ra-keh? Ber ain-done? Ha-na-na-ha?" Callie tried pronouncing the names, but failed miserably.

"I think it must be de-rak-ee, bra-na-do-na, and Han-ne-ah," Marie said, also failing.

"Well, nobody knows how their language is actually spoken, so that is probably as close as you're going to get," Zara said with a chuckle. "We also found what looks like a diary. From what little we manage to translate so far, we think they may have been building something here. But that's all I have for you today. Come back tomorrow, and I should have some of the other papers we found ready to show."

"Well, you all saw it here first," Marie said, as the duo turned back to the camera. "Our first real look at the land creatures that walked the world before us. Hopefully, Callie won't butcher their names next time." Marie smirked, and Callie stuck her tongue out.

"Tune it tomorrow, and we should have some new and exciting material for you," Callie said. "And as always-"

"Stay fresh!" The two did their signature poses, and they ended the recording.

"Phew, this was quite a day." Callie said, as the two relaxed. "I can't wait to see what else they dig up!"

"Exciting stuff, Callie," Fran said, as he held his thumb up.

"This should really give us a-" Marie was cut off, when her squid phone started playing a special ringtone that signaled that something important had come up. "Excuse us for a minute, Fran," Marie said, and she walked out of earshot with Callie.

"Is it gramps?" Callie asked. Marie Nodded, and answered the phone.

"Agent two? Where are you, lass?" Cuttlefish asked, in a panicked voice.

"We're at the new dig site," Marie answered. "Did something happen?"

"It's Octavio! He... he's escaped!" Cried the old Inkling.

"WHAT! When!?" Marie yelled, a little louder than she meant to.

"A few minutes ago. I heard a crash come from outside, and when I went to take a look, Octavio had already broken out. I called the other agents already, but you need to get back here pronto!"

"Right, we're on the way!" Marie said, and hung up the phone.

"Did I hear that right? Has Octavio really escaped?" Her cousin asked with a concerned expression.

"It looks like it," Marie responded, and they made their way back to the studio van. "Fran, get in. We're leaving.

"Huh? Why? Shouldn't we get a few more interviews first?" He gave the pair a very confused look.

"We can do that another day. We have... a bit of a personal emergency," Marie said, and Fran new better than to pry. The three got in the van, and Fran started the engine.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'll get us home as quick as I can," he said, and the van quickly took off back to Inkopolis.

…

Earth 2015 A.D. Mid fall.

"ALICE!" The boy suddenly jerked up. His head started throbbing, and his vision came back into focus. He had just woken up in a rather jarring way. "It's been months, and I'm still having that nightmare." At least once a week now, he would dream about the fatal crash that took his sister's life. While his head was still killing him, he forced himself out of bed, and moved to the desk where his PC was. He switched it on, and started browsing through various news outlets.

"More murders, riots... doomsday predictions. What is the damn point anymore?" He closed the browser, and rubbed his face. The nightmare had already brought him back into depression, and the news wasn't making it any better. His vision drifted to the side of the desk, where a framed photo was mounted. His vision clouded up again, as he looked at the picture of him and Alice that was taken when she had gotten first prize at a science fair.

"Dammit... I gotta take my mind off this. Maybe... target practice. Yeah... that's the only thing I'm good at, anyway." The boy walked over to the gun cabinet. Inside, was a small collection that he had obtained over the years, thanks to his father. There was a pair of Luger handguns, A Colt .45, A Remington shotgun, an M1 Garand rifle, a .22 handgun, and a bolt action target rifle. He picked up the .45 caliber handgun. But instead of going outside, he just stared at it. The barrel started turning towards him. Slowly, it was moving closer, and was looking friendlier and friendlier, as each second passed.

'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" The boy didn't have time to respond, as a hand slapped against his cheek. The pistol was dropped, and fell to the ground, as the boy recoiled. Turning back to the person that struck him, he looked at the angry face of his best friend. She was glaring at him, and waiting for a response. He turned away, and she followed his gaze to the desk, noticing the picture of Alice. "You had the dream again, didn't you?" Her angry expression softened a bit.

"Yeah... I... I'm just so sick of this shit," the boy said in response.

"That doesn't mean you can go off yourself!" She responded with irritation. "I'm sure Alice misses you, but do you really think she would want you to join her like that? And what about me? You think I'm okay with seeing my best friend kill himself? Especially after all the times you helped me with my relationship problems?"

"Point... taken," the boy said with a sigh.

"Then find a new reason to live! If nothing else, then just keep in mind that I will never forgive you if you do anything like that again. What happened to her wasn't your fault. The only person to blame is the driver."

"Yeah... you're right. I'm sorry," he replied, and looked up. "But if you ask me, that whole city is guilty. They didn't even try to find the guy who did it. In fact, the entire state can drop in the ocean for all I care."

"Well, you may get your wish. Didn't your dad say that next summer is going to be the one that finally breaks the planet's back?"

"That was the estimate, but now he says it can happen as early as next April. The summer will just make it progress even faster. There's no way the project will be completed before then."

"We'll find out soon enough, when we move there in a few months," the girl said. She turned back to the photo of Alice. "I... miss her too. She was so sweet and bright. Like my own little sister that I never had."

"She really was," The boy responded. "But then again, you didn't see the sides of her that I did."

"That's because brothers are supposed to spoil their little sisters," she said with a light grin. "And I think you did a great job on that." This finally made the boy smile a bit.

"I'm going to get a drink of water." The boy went downstairs, and poured a glass of water. As he drank it, he noticed a large packet of papers that were sitting on the table. "So the divorce is now finalized, huh?" While he felt bad that his father was now alone, he was glad to see his selfish mother finally out of his life. He still partially blamed her for what happened to Alice, and it was because of her that his life had been a living hell for the last several years. "Good riddance, you gold digging bitch."

"Hey, why don't you play that online shooter?" The girl asked, as he came back upstairs. "I know for a fact, that you haven't talked to those guys from Florida in a while. Or the guy in Japan, for that matter."

"I... guess I should. They're probably worried again." He sat down, and fired up the game that he played with his online friends.

"Oh, and our other friend said he would be stopping by later," she said. The boy noticed that the rest of the team had already started up a party, and he quickly dropped in. The names of his team, Tak, BigReggs, Doctor J, and Mr. Black, were already in the room.

"Dude!" Tak's voice icon immediately lit up. "We've been waiting forever for you to show up again!"

"Hey, guys," The boy replied in a melancholy tone.

"You alright? You sure you're ready to start playing?" Doctor J asked. The rest of his team started asking questions. He assured them that he was alright.

"How are things in Florida?" He asked.

"Still hotter than hell," Mr Black responded.

"Hey, Tak. How is it in Japan?" BigReggs asked.

"Plenty hot here, too," he responded. "So, uh, is the trip still on?" Tak asked.

"I don't see why not. We set this up months ago, and you've been wanting to visit us for a while," the boy responded.

"Awesome! Can't wait to be in the states!"

"By the way, TheVoiceOfReason said he won't be showing up today," Doctor J said.

"Yeah, he's going to be coming over later today," The boy responded. They were matched with 5 other players, and the map they would be playing on was displayed. "Okay, looks like it's a hostage rescue scenario, and we're Counter-Terrorist first."

"You want me to take over for this one?" Mr. Black asked.

"Please. Not sure how much of a leader I would be right now." The round started, and he put his game face on.

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

As Callie and Marie emerged from the pipe, They saw the other four agents frantically scrambling around the area. "What's going on?" Marie asked, as they approached the group.

"We can't find Cuttlefish!" Kirk said in a panic. "We hurried here as soon as he called us, but he was missing when we arrived."

"W-what! Gramps is gone!" Callie shrieked.

"If he's playing hide and seek, I'm gonna get angry," Neptune said, while she searched around the shack.

"He must have been squid-napped," Shara said. "He said something about Octavio, then-"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry to much about that!" A voice boomed. They all turned towards Octovalley, and saw the rebuilt Octobot hovering in. Octavio was sitting in the cockpit. "That Cuttlefish has been permanently scratched."

"G-gramps is... no! HOW COULD YOU!" Callie yelled.

"You'll pay for that!" Levin said, and raised his blaster.

"It ain't gonna be that easy!" Octavio responded. Several lights lit up on the sides of the craft where the fists used to be, and they could hear the sounds of charging.

"W-what the! RAINMAKER!" Kirk yelled.

"So that's what happened to the stolen rainmakers," Marie observed. On each side of the ship, 3 rainmakers had been connected to each other in a triangle formation. The golden weapons finished charging and a massive ink tornado that was even larger than the normal shot, started barreling towards them. Everyone scrambled to get out of the way, but some of them weren't so lucky.

"C-Callie? Marie? SH-SHARA!" Levin slowly turned towards the three pools of ink that lay in the center of area, his eyes wide. All that remained of agents 1, 2 and 4, were their weapons and ink tanks.

Levin, watch out!" Kirk yelled. Instead of dodging, Levin started screaming and firing shots at the cockpit. Just as the tornado was about to reach him, a hand grabbed his arm, and pulled him behind a rock.

"What the! LET GO!" He yelled.

"SHUT UP, SQUID!" A harsh voice said. Levin was face to face with an Octoling elite, that was baring her fangs at him.

"What? Are you here to kill us too?" Levin asked.

"No. Not yet, anyway. Lucky for you, he is my only target." The elite glanced at Octavio, who was trying to target the other agents.

"Why would you-"

"Now is not the time! Listen, you aren't going to get through that shield, but I have an idea. I'll change into Octo form, and while he is distracted, toss me onto the side of his ship. I can try to find a weak point on the shield, if I attack from the edge."

"Why don't you just jump? Actually, why should I trust you?" Levin responded.

"Because he will detect it, and you don't have much of a choice!" Without waiting for a response, she changed forms. Levin grabbed her, and ran out, as Octavio was trying to hit the other agents. He swung the Octopus around, and tossed her to the side of the craft. She grabbed on, switch forms, and started banging on the sides of his shield with her knife.

"Hey! Kick his ass and remix his stupid face!" Neptune yelled, as they watched.

"Get cher ass offa my ship, hipster!" Octavio boomed. He started moving the ship around, to try to knock her off, but she continued to stab at the shield. Finally, he reached out with one of his tentacles, and threw her off. As she landed, he fired a rainmaker shot at both the Octoling and the other agents.

"Crap CRAAAPPP!" Levin yelled, as he narrowly avoided the shot.

"Huh? That wasn't supposed to happen," Octavio said with a confused expression. All that was left of the Octoling elite, was her weapon and tank. Since they had been the same color, the shot shouldn't have affected her. "Oh, well. I'll take it." He turned back to the agents. "Four down, and three to go. Who's next?"

"How could you kill your own so easily," Kirk said. He wore a rather disgusted look.

"Just like this!" He started charging another shot, but the rainmakers sputtered, and shut down. "Out of ink, Huh? Well, I got other weapons." Octavio hit a button, and Levin saw torpedoes readied, and a Killer wail emerged from below.

"It's now or never. He has to pay for this!" Levin growled.

"Levin, I know you're upset, but we're outmatched here!" Kirk responded.

"Yeah! Use your brain, assuming you have one!" Neptune added.

"Who cares about that! We have to stop him now! Are you with me or not?" They turned back to Octavio.

"I... I... I'm with you, Levin. You're right, he can't be allowed to hurt anyone else!" Kirk said.

"Idiot boys, and their testosterone," Neptune said. "But, If I'm going to die, I'll die a hero. Maybe then I'll finally get my name out." She readied her Gal.

"Bring it on, Inkstains!" The agents started charging, and Octavio unloaded the rest of his ordinance on them.


	2. Chapter 2 – Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes: Forgot to mention that I will be combining the two ways I handled language barriers in the previous story. At some points I will stick to garbled text and symbols, and others I will use gibberish fake language words. The reason why should become apparent in later chapters.

Earth ?

"Marie! Why won't you wake up!" The older squid cousin was lying on her backside, and until now, was completely unconscious. She could vaguely make out the sounds of her cousins cries, and she started regaining control of her body.

"Ugggghhhhhh..." Marie groaned. She opened her eyes a little, but couldn't make anything out due to her blurred vision. She could only make out a vague outline, and she instinctively reached out for it.

"M-Marie! Thank goodness, you're- ACK! Marie, what are you- OW, MY NOSE!" Wide awake, Marie fully opened her eyes, and jolted up. She quickly removed her hand from her younger cousin's nose.

"OWOWOW! What was that for?!" Callie squeaked.

"Sorry about that, Cal," Marie responded. "My head is killing me, and I feel a bit strange." Marie slowly sat up, and started remembering the events that had transpired before she lost consciousness. "Which I think is understandable. How are we not dead?" Marie paused for a second. "The rainmaker... I felt it hit me, and.."

"Forget the rainmaker! I'm just glad you're okay!" Callie pulled her cousin into a hug, and Marie returned it, gripping tightly. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Me too, Cal. I thought we were both done for." The two sat in silence for a few minutes, just taking reassurance from the embrace. Then Callie stood up, and offered her hand. Marie took it, and Callie pulled her up. She then took a look at their surroundings. "W-where are we?" Marie asked. They appeared to be in an empty field. The grass was fairly tall, and there was some trash littered about. About 100 yards behind Callie, the field lead to a small gravel incline with a guard rail at the top. Behind the incline, Marie could see various tall buildings. "Are we back in the city?"

"I don't know," Callie responded. "I don't recognize this area at all. Not to mention this breaks all the litter laws," Callie said, while pinching her nose.

"Let's take a look. If we are in the city, we can find out what's happening. If not, then maybe someone can tell us where we are, and how to get home." Marie reached around for her weapon, but then discovered that it had vanished, along with her ink tank. "Wait, what? Where did our weapons go?" Marie asked, as she noticed that Callie had also lost her roller and tank.

"I don't know. They were gone when I woke up," Callie responded. "But I wonder why we still have our clothes."

"I guess we should be grateful we aren't... completely exposed," Marie said, and turned back to the incline.

"Well, let's go take a look. Oh, and here's your hat," Callie said. The two put their head gear back into place, and Callie put her sunglasses back on. They then climbed the incline, and ended up on a side walk next to a road. Looking around a bit, they spotted a passerby on the other side of the road, and Callie waved at them. "Hey! HEY! Can you tell us where we-" Callie stopped when the stranger turned to them.

"*%#$*% !*$ ( $" For several seconds, the two cousins stared at the figure, who stared right back at them.

"T-that isn't an Inkling!" Callie said with an alarmed voice.

"%#*(&%# $%(#" The figure spoke in a raised voice, and stared while pointing at them.

"Callie, get down!" Marie yelled, and pulled her cousin back over the guard rail. "Quick! Into your squid form!" Callie did as she was told, as they could hear foot steps rapidly approaching. Just as the two found hiding spots in the tall grass, the figure leaned over the guardrail. It stood in place for several minutes while searching for the two. Eventually, it muttered something to itself, then seemed to wonder off. "That was too close," Marie said, as they shifted back to bipedal. "But what the heck was that?"

"Maybe we are in some sort of Anemone city?" Callie responded. "It did have a lot of small tentacle things on its head."

"I don't know about that. Anemones don't have THAT many tentacles. I also didn't see any eye marks. Plus, the language. I've never heard anything like it. Besides, shouldn't Annie's people know what an Inkling is?"

"True, but I can't think of anything else... Though, I feel I've seen it before." Callie looked back to the city. "S-so what do we do? We can't stay here."

"You're right about that. We should get moving, but first we need to do something about that." Marie pointed to Callie's long twin tail style tentacles. "My head gear covers most of mine, but yours will stick out." Marie took another look at her cousin. "I think I have an idea. Hold still."

"H-hey! Be careful!" Callie squeaked. Marie took Callie's tentacles, and began stuffing them into the backside of her disguise.

"There, that will have to do." After hiding her tentacles in her top, the only part exposed was the space between Callie's hat and the top of her shirt. "There's still the issue of our eyes and ears, so we will have to avoid eye contact. Which means you are going first."

"What? Why me!" Callie said with a nervous look.

"Because you have the glasses. And I thought you were supposed to be the brave one," Marie said with a light smirk.

"Oh! Fine, but you owe me for this!" After checking that the coast was clear, the two hopped back over the guard rail, and started following the sidewalk. They avoided eye contact with the natives as much as possible, while making sure to keep their distance. Though, they did get some odd looks from a few pedestrians that noticed something was off.

"Callie, Take a look at that," Marie said, and pointed to a large billboard. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that isn't Inkling writing. I'm pretty sure that it isn't Octarian, either."

"Yeah, you're right. But, it seems familiar somehow. Just where the heck are we?" Callie looked to the right of the writing. A large image of food was displayed on the far side. "That almost looks like something from Kelp burger. I'm getting hungry."

"Me too, Cal," Marie said, and put her hand on her younger cousins shoulder. "Which is why we need to keep moving." Eventually, the side walk they were following lead them to a small park. There were several smaller creatures playing on the various equipment, and in the small sand box.

"Hey! Are those the children? D'aw, they're so cute!" Callie said, as the pair watched from a distance.

"I think so. All I know, is that they are in our way. Let's find another-"

"Let's try talking to them," Callie said, and started walking forward.

"W-wha? Are you serious, Callie? Have you forgotten that we couldn't understand the last one?" Marie was looking at her cousin as if she had adopted a land shark.

"W-well it might have just been that one guy. Besides, I'm sure kids will be easier to deal with," Callie responded. Marie sighed, and followed her cousin to the center of the group. Instantly, the children stopped playing, and looked over to Callie. "H-hi there," Callie said nervously.

"#*(%&#%*#&%( " one of the kids said. They had very confused looks on their faces, but slowly inched forwards.

"C-can you tell me where we are?" Callie asked with a equally nervous expression.

"%)$%*#$# $#(%($*%$()%*$%" The children continued to stare.

"Caaaannnn yyyyooooouuuu heeeeellllpp meeeee?" She asked in a very slow manner. She then tried to smile.

"#%*(%$%&#$()%&" Most of the children jumped back after looking at Callie's pointed beak. One boy, however, bravely walked right up to her.

"#%*%#(&#)%" Realizing that the boy was looking at her mouth, she quickly shut it, but then the boy walked to her backside. The other children started approaching again as well.

"W-what are you doing?" Callie watched as the boy walked around her, and noticed that the bottom parts of her tentacles were exposed and sticking out of her shirt.

"#$%*(%(*$()%*$%#(%&#)%(&*" The boy started feeling her tentacles, and the other children, who were keeping their distance until then, also started poking and touching Callie all over.

"C-Callie, I think it's time to go," Marie said. Several kids were advancing towards her, and were clearly interested in her black eye mask.

"Aha... HAHAHAHA!" Ticklish as she was, Callie started laugh uncontrollably and made a number of chirping sounds, as she continued to get poked by the kids. "S- seriously... ha... cut it out!" She changed to her squid form to escape their grasp, and hopped in place a few times. This caused all the kids to immediately freeze up. Then, after a few seconds, they all scattered in different directions, yelling as they went.

"Oh, boy. You've done it now, Callie," Marie said, as she saw several larger creatures rushing over to see what the commotion was. Marie grabbed Callie, who was still in her squid form, and tossed her into a bush. Then Marie switched forms, and jumped in after Callie.

"OOF! Marie, get offa me! I'm dying here!"

"I'm saving us! And are you saying I'm heavy?" Marie responded with narrowed eyes.

"I'm saying I can't breath!" They watched through the bushes, as the children started telling, what Marie assumed to be their parents, what had happened, while pointing to where they had been standing. They didn't seem to take their claims seriously, as most of the adults picked up their kids, and left the area. After the last of the creatures had left, the two climbed out of the bushes, and switched back to their bipedal forms.

"That was a close one, Cal. What were you thinking?" Marie asked with a sigh.

"It was worth a try, and I didn't hear any better ideas from you," Callie responded with her tongue out.

"Okay, okay. Let's just get out of here in case they return." The two quickly left the park and continued following the side walk, while taking extra care to keep their distance from the creatures. Thankfully, the passing cars didn't pay them too much attention. "This technology... It's so similar to ours, but.. these people are so different. Wait... no, that's ridiculous."

"Marie? What's up? Did you figure something out?" Callie asked with a curious expression.

"It's too stupid to even consider," Marie responded.

"If you say so. Hey, what's going on over there?" Callie pointed to a row of buildings on the opposite side of the street. A large part of the street had been blocked off by a number of creatures that seemed to wear police and army uniforms. Passed the barricades, there were more of them that appeared to be wearing some sort of Bio-suits. They appeared to be scanning the area around the buildings, as well as operating strange machinery. "You think they're looking for us?"

"Maybe, but wouldn't they do it closer to the park? We've never been here. Still, we should probably leave. If they are looking for us, we could end up in a world of trouble." They quickly changed directions, and headed for a large empty lot. Out of sight from the bio-suits, Callie let out a large sigh. "What's wrong, Callie?" Marie asked, and tried to reassure her cousin.

"I want to go home," Callie responded. "I'm worried about our friends."

"Me too," Marie said. "I just hope they managed to stop Octavio."

"And Besides, I-" Callie stopped when a rumbling sound started coming from her stomach. "I'm hungry." Marie started to chuckle, but her own stomach was also empty and had started to make noises. Callie looked around, and to her surprise, spotted what looked like a kelp burger sitting on a plate.

"NO WAY! That's so perfect timing!" Callie said. She ran over to where the food was.

"I don't know Callie, that seems a little- WAIT!" Marie's attempt to warn her cousin came too late, as when Callie reached the food, a metal cage suddenly emerged from the ground, and closed itself around her.

"WHAT! NO FAIR! MARIE, GET ME OUTTA HERE!" Callie yelled.

"Just change forms and squeeze out!" Marie responded. Doing as she was told, Callie changed forms, and wiggled her way out of the cage. As she reverted to bipedal, Callie saw that her cousin was now lying face down on the ground, and had a small cylinder like object sticking out of her neck. Callie went to help her, but she immediately felt something hit her on her own neck. In a split second, she became extremely drowsy, and fell to the ground. The last thing Callie saw before passing out, was two large figures coming towards her.

…

An hour earlier...

Having woken up several minutes ago, Shara was sitting behind a dumpster in a narrow alley way. Her head was throbbing, and she was suppressing the urge to throw up. While her consciousness had already returned to her, she had to keep her eyes closed, due to the fact that her vision would cloud up and distort.

"How... am I still... alive?" She muttered to herself, then went silent again for some time. Eventually, the pain in her head started to subside, and she slowly opened her eyes again. Lucky for her, her vision had also returned to normal. As her nausea began to subside, she slowly stood up, and took another look around the alley.

"Huh? I remember fighting DJ Octavio in Octovalley, but... how did I get back to Inkopolis?" Limping a bit, she slowly made her way to the alley's exit where sunlight was streaming in. Just before she reached the exit, something grabbed her from behind. She started to scream, but a a hand reached around and covered her mouth. Then another hand grabbed her lower torso, and pulled her back into the alley. Shara struggled to break free, but then felt something press against her. She looked down, and saw that it was the blunt edge of a knife.

"Idiot! Are you trying to give yourself away?" A voice said. Shara tried to to say something, but it just came out muffled. "Be quiet!" Shara was pulled back into the alley, until the figure finally stopped, and removed its hand from her mouth. Then, she was spun around, and her eyes landed on the figure of an Octoling elite.

"What? What the hell are you doing in Inkopolis?" Shara instinctively reached for her weapon, but quickly discovered that it was gone, along with her ink tank.

"If you're looking for your weapon, then forget it. What ever brought us here, seems to have left us with out most of our equipment." The Octoling said. Shara looked forward again, and noticed that the Octoling was also disarmed, say for the hunting knife.

"Well, what do you want with me? Planning on using me as a hostage so you can escape?" Shara asked.

"What are you talking about?" The Octoling responded. "What use would there be in taking you hostage? If anything, it's you that needs my help."

"Don't make me laugh!" Shara spat back. "Why would I need the help of some Octoslug?"

"Ungrateful much? Are you Inklings so savage that you can't even say 'thank you'?"

"Thank you?! For what?"

"Who do you think watched over you while you took a frigging nap?!"

"I'll admit that I don't know how I ended up here, but why the hell would I need you to watch over me in my own damn city!" Shara yelled. The Octoling stopped, and stared at her. Shara couldn't tell what she was thinking behind those goggles, and that made her nervous.

"Oh, I get it." The Octoling elite said. "You still think you are in your precious Inkopolis, don't you?" She sighed, then moved to over to the wall next to Shara, and leaned up against it. "I don't think your going to grasp just what kind of situation we're in, unless you see it for yourself. By all means, take a look."

"You don't have to tell me that!" Shara muttered, and moved to the alley exit. As she left the alley, the sunlight blinded her for a bit. As her eyes adjusted, she made out the details of a shopping district, but she didn't recognize any of the stores. 'I don't recognize this part of Inkopolis,' she thought. She noticed a pair of uniformed figures across the street. Thinking they were police officers, she started yelling at them. "HEY! OVER HERE! CAN YOU HELP ME?" Suddenly, she heard a loud scream. Shara turned to a figure on her right that had made the sound.

"What are you screeching for? I'm just trying to-" Shara stopped when she finally noticed what was off about the figure. It was a tall female, but she had no tentacles, and no eye marks of any kind.

"#(%#()&*%#_%*#_%* $ %"

"What... the... hell are you?" The two stared at each other, until Shara was broken out of the trance by approaching footsteps. She turned, and saw that the two police officers had started crossing the street and were heading towards her. They didn't look like they were there to help. Shara quickly turned, and ran back into the alley. The Octoling wasted no time in grabbing her arm, and the two started running from the street as fast as possible.

"$#(*%" Looking back, Shara could see that the two cops had followed her, and were giving chase at a surprising speed. They were also gaining on them. Making matters worse, the alley was about to dead end. "#$()*#%()*#%"

"We're trapped!" Shara yelled.

"Change forms and jump, fool!" The Octoling barked in response. She quickly did as she was told, changed into her squid form, and followed the Octoling elite in squid jumping out of the alley and onto the roof of the nearest building. Shara expected the cops to quickly follow behind, but they never did. She slowly walked over to the roof's edge, and looked over. The cops had stopped following them, and were staring at Shara with an expression of total disbelief.

"#*(%%#(*#%(()&#%##%"

"Stop staring, and get over here. We need to move," the elite said.

"Hold on just a damn minute," Shara said, and moved away from the roof. "Just what exactly are those things?"

"Hell if I know," she responded.

"Aren't they your people?"

"Do those look like Octolings? Or even Octarian regulars?" The elite said.

"Well... no, but.."

"Then you are asking the wrong person," the elite responded. "I just know that we can't stay here."

"So, are you going to tell me why you are helping your enemy?" Shara asked. The elite turned back to her, and again, Shara couldn't read her expression.

"Don't get me wrong. I harbor no love for Inklings. Not after..." The Octoling paused for a moment. "I just happen to hate Octavio more."

"What? Why? He's your leader, isn't he?"

"That's none of your business." The elite turned away again. "We just have a better chance of getting home if we stick together."

"Oh, so you need ME then."

"Don't push it!" The elite said, and pointed her knife.

"Fine, fine. But if that's how it is, then what's your name?"

"Also none of your business, orange girl."

"If you are serious about teaming up, I can't keep calling you, 'you', forever" Shara said with a convincing tone. The elite sighed, and lowered her knife as Shara continued to speak. "Fine, I'll go first. I'm Shara Taiga."

"Kelly," The elite responded. "Lieutenant Kelly Scylls. Guardian Corps unit forty three." The elite started moving towards the far side of the roof. "Are you coming or not?" Not having to be told twice, Shara followed Kelly's lead, and the two got away from the shopping center as fast as they could.

…

hours later...

When Callie slowly started to regain consciousness, the first she noticed was that she was strapped to what looked like a small hospital bed. To her left, she saw that Marie was strapped to a similar bed. "M...Marie? W-wake up." She struggled to say, but her words were barely audible. What ever that cylinder had done to them hadn't worn off, and she was still feeling quite drowsy. She tried changing to squid form to escape the straps, but her body wouldn't listen. "What's wrong with me?"

"#*(&#*&(#% $ _*%#%*%" Even though she was still very drowsy, Callie's ears perked up, and she made out the sound of one of the creatures approaching her. She quickly shut her eyes, and heard the sound of a door being opened, followed by several foot steps. Suddenly, she felt a prick in her arm, and she winced a little.

"Ack!" She said as softly as she could, and opened her eyes slightly. The creature didn't seem to notice, and removed a needle from her arm. It was attached to a syringe that contained a small amount of ink. Her ink. Sneaking a look at the creature, Callie guessed that it was a middle aged male, due to the complexions of his face. He moved over to her cousin's side, and extracted a small amount of ink from her.

"$I &%(*()*%# !" Callie heard another younger sounding voice from the other side of the room, and quickly shut her eyes again. She heard the older and younger voices exchange a number of unknown words for several minutes. Opening her eyes again, she saw the younger one move Marie's bed into a smaller room that was separated from the main one with a large glass wall. A minute later, he came back out and went over to her bed. She wasn't able to get a good look at him, as she had to briefly shut her eyes while he moved passed her.

"(#&%(#&)%##*(%&#)%(&#_&" The older creature said, and the younger one said something in response. Then, she could feel her bed be moved into the same chamber as Marie. He placed her bed right next to Marie's, then undid the straps on both of their beds.

"This would be a great time run, but... why am I so tired?" Callie said to herself. The creature left the room, and they turned there attention to the samples that the older one had collected. Callie's drowsiness finally over took her, and she drifted back to sleep.

A few hours later, Callie was being shaken awake, and she could hear her cousin's voice. Opening her eyes, she saw Marie straddling her, and had a desperate look in her eyes. Surprising her cousin, she bolted up, and pulled Marie into an embrace. "Whoa! Geez, Cal! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"B-but I was so worried! You weren't waking up earlier... and... whhaaaaa!"

"YOU were worried?!" Marie said, then started rubbing Callie's head. "There, there. It's okay. I'm right here."

"S-sorry," Callie said, and eased up a little. "I know you're always telling me to grow up, but..."

"Don't worry. This one is a freebie." Marie let go, then looked around. The room they were in only had one exit, which she assumed was locked. Inside, there wasn't much besides their beds, a small table, a shelf and a toilet. Beyond the glass divider, she could see various equipment and computers. They could see their hats and Callie sunglasses on a table. "This looks like some kind of laboratory," Marie said.

"What do you think they're going to do? They aren't going to dissect us, are they?" Callie asked with an alarmed tone.

"They'd better not! But I'll protect you if they dare lay a hand on you," Marie responded.

"Though, I wonder who 'they' are. I hope they aren't working with Octavio," Callie said. Marie's brow lowered into a pensive expression. "What is it, Marie?" Callie asked, as she noticed her cousin's look of deep thought.

"I... think I might have an idea... but... It's... just... too unbelievable."

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

The sounds of a fierce ink battle could be heard through the numerous corridors of Grizzco HQ. While their security forces were putting up a surprising fight, Octavio's army was pushing them back towards the executive offices. A seeker flew down the hallway, and another security team member was splatted on the spot. Several Mariner Octolings quickly followed the trail that the seeker had left.

"Crap, they're right on top of us! How did they get this far?" One of the Inklings shouted. It had only been an hour since the surprise attack on Inkopolis started. Thanks to an equally surprising attack by Octavio's secret Inkling collaborators, they were able to break through the Inkling army with ease.

"Look out, Clora!" Another Inkling shouted, but his warning came too late. The elite leading the charge popped out of the ink, and splatted Clora on the spot. He could do nothing, as the other three quickly followed behind, and splatted both him and his last remaining squad mate with a pair of splat bombs.

"Area clear!" One of the Octolings said.

"Good, now get that door open, Osami!" The elite said. "Otoha! Rookie! Cover her!" They took position on the sides of the door, as Osami planted a small Octarian bomb on the door.

"Isn't this a bit excessive?"

"Not now, Otoha. I would have let them go if they surrendered, but they chose to fight back."

"Still thinking about that Inkling that spared us at kelp dome?"

"I said not now! Assuming he's still alive, he probably ran off with that deserter, anyway."

"Charge planted, Sargent Karumi!"

"Do it!" The door was blown to bits, and the Octolings quickly rushed in. "Freeze!" Karumi shouted. "Grizzco is now under the control of the Mariners! Nobody move, and nobody gets hurt! Now, which one of you is Dr. Inkstein?" In an effort to save themselves, they all pointed to a middle aged orange scientist. "Then get over here! Otoha, call Octavio and tell him we found the guy he wants."

"No need for that! I'm right here, squirt." The massive Octoling moved into the room, followed by several elite escorts. "Now, then. I hear you're one of the top scientists in Inkopolis. For the sake of those... things you call squids, you'd better know something `bout rainmakers."

"I might know a thing or two," Inkstein replied in a calm tone.

"Good. Because we got ourselves a little problem. And I don't like problems!" Octavio boomed in response.

"Well, I live to solve problems. And you seem loaded with them."

"Oh, a wise guy? Shall I start executing hostages, you little hipster?"

"That's uncalled for. Why don't you tell me what the problem is?" Inkstein said.

"You know how ink isn't supposed to affect targets of the same color? Well, with a little... persuasion, one of the best Octarian scientists managed to boost the weapon's output by a huge, and I mean huge, margin. Problem is, it's now affecting my troops as well, and it's been actin' pretty funky in general. Now THAT is a problem." Octavio leaned in, and his face was right in front of the Inkling's. "You're going to help me find out why. Aren't cha, Inkstain?"


	3. Chapter 3 – Friend or Foe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes: Between the last chapter and this one, was it too obvious what I'm going for? Anyway, some of you might be confused on how this is a PREQUEL, but it should makes sense later on. The pain is going to be trying to write it out correctly. Even more since I have to keep it from ruining the tone of the last book. Also, I'm making minor references to some of the user OCs from LoH, but I won't name names.

Chapter 3 – Friend or Foe

**Authors Notes: Between the last chapter and this one, was it too obvious what I'm going for? Anyway, some of you might be confused on how this is a (loose) PREQUEL, but it should makes sense later on. The pain is going to be trying to write it out correctly. Even more since I have to keep it from ruining the tone of the last book. Also, I'm making minor references to some of the user OCs from LoH, but I won't name names.**

"Marie, why don't you just say what's on your mind?" Callie asked her cousin, who was hiding behind the bed with her. Marie shook her head, as she continued to observe the two creatures on the other side of the glass.

"You'll just laugh at me," she responded.

"No I won't! It might give us a clue as to what's going on!" Callie protested. Marie thought about this, then gave a light sigh.

"W-well, I think that-"

"Wait! Something is happening!" Callie said, interrupting Marie. On the other side of the glass, the younger male collected a few pieces of equipment from the tables, and stuffed it into a bag.

" (&*$ ()%*#$%*() #%()*#" The two then appeared to shake hands, and the younger man started to head towards the door. Then the older one spoke up again, as he was about to leave. "#%*&#%*(&#& *$&%*& Dr4k3 #%#" This caused Callie's ears to twitch and perk up.

"What is it, Cal?" Marie asked.

"That old guy said something that was... familiar," she responded with a confused expression.

"Wait, you understood that?'

"No, it's just... something I feel that I heard before. But I just can't place it." The two continued to watch, as the younger one waved, then left the room. The older one glanced towards the room they were held in, and they immediately ducked down.

"I wish we had our weapons," Marie said. "I guess all we can do is the old fashioned way of... 'shooting' ink."

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

Half of Inkopolis was now under Mariner control. A number of turf teams, along with what was left of the Inkling armed forces, were fighting desperately to keep Octavio's army from advancing further, while dealing with guerrilla attacks from the Tentatek collaborators. In the midst of the fighting, Kirk, Neptune and two Inklings from the army, were trying to sneak past Octavio's forces.

"Those spies should be waiting for us just up ahead," the leading female said.

"Good. This may be our only shot at giving Octavio some much needed payback," the male said, keeping his Luna blaster at the ready.

"I-I just want to end this already," Kirk cut in. "I've already lost enough friends as it is. The squid sisters.. Shara... Levin..."

"Stupid big brother... had to go and die..." Neptune said in a low voice.

"I was surprised that the squid sisters were fighting in the shadows," The female responded. "If you don't mind me asking, how did it happen?"

"The rainmakers on Octavio's ship. They.. they... just tore through us. Took all three of them down with a single shot... Then Levin..."

"He jumped in front of a torpedo to save me," Neptune said with a whimper. "Why did he have to do that? Stupidstupidstupid!"

"Neptune, that's enough!" Kirk said. The brutal fighting had changed them both, but it pained Kirk to see his friend like this.

"Octavio can't die enough to make up for taking the squid sisters from us!" The male growled.

"Quiet! This is where we are supposed to meet them!" They ducked down, and the female waved her hands in a specific pattern that imitated several squid sister poses. In response, two Octolings walked out of a nearby alley, and made a similar gesture.

"I think you should have brought more than this," The first Octoling said. "We have a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me." The Octoling lead them through several narrow passages, until they were in the warehouse district. She then pointed to one of the larger warehouses. There was a large number of Octarian regulars and Octolings patrolling the area. "That's where the Octobot is being kept for repairs, but as you can see, they've doubled the guards."

"Wait, how do we know you didn't sell us out?" The male asked.

"Don't talk to my sister like that!" The other Octoling responded.

"Because we would have ambushed you at the meeting point," the first hissed. "If you are done pointing fingers, we found another way in. Follow us, but stay close." They waited a few minutes for the Octotroopers to turn their backs, then dashed to the far side of the warehouse.

"L-looks like they didn't see us," Kirk said, as they reached the wall.

"There's a window up there," The Octoling said while pointing. "So, who wants explosive duty?"

"I'll do it," Neptune responded. As Kirk gave her a worried look, she took the bombs from the Octoling.

"Kirk, Neptune, can you two go first?" The leading female asked. Nodding in response, the two made an ink trail up the side of the wall, then swam up. They jumped through the window, and looked around to check for threats.

"Clear on my side!" Neptune said, and Kirk responded in the same way. The two Octolings quickly jumped in behind them, then did the other two Inklings. After moving away from the window, they spotted the Octobot in the middle of the large warehouse.

"Wait, someone is messing with the thing. Who is that?" Neptune said, and pointed.

"That's Inkstein from Grizzco," The female responded. "They must be forcing him to work on the Octobot. I don't know about the male Octoling."

"I think he's from the science division," The second Octoling said. "Doesn't look like he wants to be here either."

"You got that right!" A sudden voice said, and everyone turned. A group of Octolings and Twintacles had crept up behind them. "And now, you lot are going to join them. There's always room for more servants," the elite said. "And thanks for bringing us that race traitor!"

"Screw that! Everyone scatter!" The female yelled, and threw a splat bomb. The male covered her with his Luna blaster.

"We'll draw their fire! Get out of here now!" The first Octoling yelled, and broke away from the group. Kirk unloaded his splatling on several Twintacles, knocking them off their pods and into a pool of ink. Then, he felt a single shot to his back side. Kirk quickly turned, just in time to see the elite fall unconscious, as Neptune shot her twice with her gal.

"Come on, dork! We have to go!" Neptune pulled Kirk back up, and the two ran for the window. Having already charged the splattling, he made another trail on the wall leading up to the ledge. He quickly swam up, then turned to help Neptune. But instead of following him, she took out the bomb that the Octoling had given her.

"W-what do you think you are doing! Get up here!" Kirk yelled.

"Sorry, Kirk. Do this troublemaker one last favor, and make sure you survive this mess," Neptune responded.

"Neptune, you aren't- NO, DON'T!" He could see a tear shed from her eye, as she took a firm grip on the bomb, then charged through the remaining Octarians. Kirk tried to jump back in, but one of the Octoling spies had jumped to the window, and pulled him outside. Just as they landed, a huge explosion rocked the warehouse.

…

Earth 2015 A.D.

"I've never seen anything like this. These creatures... it's almost like something out of a cheesy sci-fi movie from the fifties. And this liquid. What do you make of it, professor?" The older man turned to the younger one that had spoken to him.

"Hard to say, John. We both know creatures like this don't exist." The professor turned back to the liquid and DNA samples he had taken. "But here we are. Facing the impossible."

"And they are clearly intelligent. After all, I saw- wait, where are they!" Both of them glanced at the glass wall.

"Relax, John. They're hiding behind one of the beds. See?" The professor pointed, and John could make out the tops of the creature's heads peaking up at them, and their golden eyes were watching closely. "It's a good thing we got to them before the government did."

"No kidding. Probably would have dissected them by now. Anyway, are we still dismissing the possibility of extraterrestrials?" John asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," the professor responded. "This has to be some sort of mutation. Perhaps a radiation overdose, or a chemical agent?" The professor rubbed his head with a sigh. "I really wish I had gotten that PHD in biology, instead of a minor."

"I hate to say it, but we could really use Harkov right now. Speaking of which." John moved over to another table to collect the bag of materials he had prepared the previous day. "As much as I loath not being a part of this, I really need to get going." The professor glanced at the clock.

"Is it really that time? Well, before you go." The professor handed John one of the vials containing the colored liquid. "Take this with you, and have Harkov run some tests on it. Maybe he can get us some answers."

"Are you sure about this?" John said with surprise.

"I need you focused on making sure the prototype is ready for me, once I join you. We are going to need to iron out the flaws as quickly as possible, if we want to even have a chance at salvaging the project. You have the plans, right?"

"Believe me, that was the first thing I packed. Only thing I need now, is to pick up Judd. Have you seen him?"

"He's probably upstairs with my son."

"Well, then I guess I'll see you in a few months. Been a pleasure, Manfred Von Kaufmann." John reached his hand out, and Manfred returned the handshake. Then John headed towards the door, when Manfred called out to him.

"Hey, while you're up there, you mind sending Drake down?" He said. John gave him a very surprised look.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I understand getting Harkov involved, but-"

"He's going to find out eventually, so I might as well tell him outright. He knows when to keep his mouth shut... usually..." Manfred glanced over to the two unknown females. Their golden eyes were still locked onto him and John. "Besides, I get the feeling I'm going to need some assistance with them."

…

Shara was following the Octoling elite, Kelly, across the various roof tops that covered the city. Many of the buildings were close enough together that they could leap across with out having to resort to squid jumping. After a while though, Shara was getting tired, and her mind began to wonder. As such, she didn't noticed that the elite had stopped, and Shara walked right into her.

"Watch it, squid! Are all you Inklings that clumsy?" Kelly growled.

"Bite me, Octoslug!" Shara hissed back.

"Watch what you say. I'm hungry enough that I just might. Lucky for you, I got something to hold me." The elite pulled out two small wrapped objects from her pack. On closer inspection, it appeared to be something similar to a fish burger. "Oh, got your interest, huh? I was thinking of giving you one, but if you are going to be rude.."

Shara wanted to snap at her, but her own empty stomach caused her to swallow her pride. "I'm... sorry... for... calling... you names," Shara muttered, while looking down.

"Yeah, and?" Kelly continued to watch her, while holding the food.

"May... I... please have one... of those?" Shara managed to get out.

"I guess that's the best I can expect from an Inkling," Kelly responded, and handed her one of the burgers. Shara took it, but being unsure, she sniffed it first, then gave it a slight lick.

"This.. isn't a fish burger," Shara said. "Where did you get this?"

"I nicked it from some cheep looking diner. It was the best I could do, so quit complaining."

"I'M NOT! I just want to know if it's even safe to eat these creature's food. And is that why those cops were after us?" Shara took another glance at the food. She swallowed her fears, and took a bite. She was taken aback at the flavors that were entering her mouth. They were similar to the burgers she knew, but very different at the same time. She began woofing down her meal, and saw that Kelly was eagerly doing the same.

"Daaaammmn! I don't know what these creatures are, but they can sure cook well," Kelly said, after finishing.

"You can say that again. If we weren't being chased in a strange land, I would go back for seconds. Even if this is going to kill my diet." The two were so satisfied by their food, that they completely forgot that they hated each other. After realizing this, they both turned away from each other.

"I don't get it Octo... Kelly. You clearly hate me, but you still watched over me, and even gave me food. Why?"

"I already told you that we need each other," Kelly responded.

"Then let me rephrase. Why do you hate us so much? Is it really because of the war?" Shara asked. Kelly slowly turned towards her, and sighed. She then removed her goggles, and Shara gasped.

"Y-you! You're an Inkling?" While Kelly had eyes similar to that of an Octoling, the actual marks around them were that of a black Inkling mask.

"Half and half, actually. My father was an Inkling." They continued to stare at each other.

"But shouldn't you want both races to get along?"

"That's the thing. I did. It's why I volunteered my squad for the emperor's mission. But that was before..." Kelly's voice trailed off.

"Does... this have something to do with Octavio?"

"My issue with him is personal, but it is because of Octavio that the emperor sent us to meet with the Inklings. We WERE going to help you find the zapfish..."

"So... so what happened?" Shara continued to ask, despite Kelly's clear anger.

"We were given false information. When we reached the meeting point, we were attacked by a pack of land sharks. Two of my girls were killed, and another was seriously injured. When I barely managed to finish them off, I did my best to treat the injured one, but her wounds were too severe for me to do much."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it could have been a mistake. You can't blame us for-"

"LISTEN!" Kelly roared, and Shara shut up. "I decided the only thing I could do to save her, was to bring her to your city. When It seemed that I finally made it, I was stopped by an army patrol. I tried explaining that we weren't the enemy. I even begged them for help, and all they did was laugh and spit at us. But even then, I still wanted to make the emperors vision a reality. Only...they killed her."

"T-that's awful!" Shara gasped. Completely stunned that people who were supposed to protect and serve would act in such a way. Kelly's eyes watered, and she turned to avoid showing her tears.

"Otome... was the closest I had left to family. She was no threat whatsoever, AND THEY JUST EXECUTED HER! SO EXCUSE ME IF I DON'T HARBOR MUCH LOVE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!" After hearing this, Shara just buried her face in her palm.

"I'm sorry... Believe me, I'm disgusted, and those soldiers should answer for this. But if you are going to judge all of us for their actions.. well, you people aren't pillars of morality either."

"What was that?"

"I could point out the obvious, Octavio, but there's more. When I was visiting father, we found a soldier that had literally been tortured to death. So don't act like you are above that sort of thing."

"Otome was not responsible for what the Mariners do!"

"And squidbeak isn't responsible for what a couple of assholes do, either!" Shara was getting tired of the argument, and it looked like Kelly would have to concede that point.

"I guess I have to admit that you haven't tried to attack me yet," Kelly responded with a sigh. "But I will never rest until Otome's killers pay for what they did."

"And I won't stop fighting your people until Octavio is dealt with, either. So I guess we are going to have to put our personal crap aside, until we get home. Then we go our separate ways."

"Well, miss boss lady, shall we continue on?" The two resumed their roof hopping journey.

…

"Thanks for taking care of Judd, but I need to be off." Manfred's assistant picked up the cat carrier, and started to head for the front door. "Oh, and your father wanted to see you in the lab. Just..." John paused, and briefly looked around the room. "Just don't be too freaked out by what you see down there."

"Oh, great. What have you and old man Frankenstein done now?" Drake responded, as he gave John a roll of the eyes. "Do I need to worry about the house blowing up again?"

"It's not what we made, it's what we found. Trust me. You haven't seen anything yet," John said with a grin. "I just wish I had time to see your reaction. Anyway, I'm off. Take care, Drake. And stay out of trouble."

"Funny coming from you." John left the house with Judd, and Drake headed to the basement lab to see what Manfred had gotten into. As he entered his father's lair, he saw him examining several vials on the far table. "John said you had something to show me."

"Hey, boy. Come take a look at this." Manfred held up the vial of pink ink that he had drawn from one of the creatures. "What do you suppose this is?"

"How should I know? You don't tell me half the things you do down here. To me, it looks like a shot of Pepto Bismol." Drake responded. Manfred took another look at the vial.

"Huh, you know, you're right. That reminds me, I need to pick some up. But no, that's not what it is." He put the vial down with the other samples. "It's actually an ink like substance, and it has a very unusual composition. Not to mention-"

"Surely you didn't call me down here to look at some pink goo," Drake interrupted.

"Thing is, that goo came from a creature John and I found. The substance was coursing through its body, almost like blood."

"Wait, what? What kind of animal has pink blood?"

"Green too. But that's the real question, isn't it?" Manfred lead Drake over to the glass divider.

"So... what am I looking for?" Drake peered into the chamber, but all he saw was two empty hospital beds.

"Wait, what? They were in there a minute ago." Manfred also looked into the room, while trying to locate the females. "They couldn't have escaped through those small air vents. Wait, there they are." He pointed to the far right corner of one of the beds. Realizing that they had been spotted, the pink and green creature raised up a little, so their heads were just peaking above the bed. He stared at them, and the golden eyes stared right back.

"What is this?" Drake said.

"I really have no idea, but we found them near the-"

"No, I mean, What is this?" Manfred turned to his son, who had a scowl on his face. "Tell me, when did you resort to abducting teenagers?" Manfred was surprised at his son's reaction, and said nothing. "I mean, I get that with... that woman gone, you are-" Drake's voice trailed off, then he buried his face in his palm. "Wait, I get it."

"You.. do?" Manfred asked, trying to figure out what Drake was thinking.

"Today was the day of that anime convention in town. You paid one of the cos-players to play a joke on me, didn't you? To get me to forget about Alice? Well, that's very freaking funny. You had me going, but that's a little too far. I know you've always wanted to get back at me for the pranks I used to play with Alice, but-"

"You seem to be misunderstanding something," Manfred responded. "Yeah, I guess you could say I 'picked them up,' but I can assure you, they aren't cos-players. Nor are they even human."

"Yeah, sure. I guess you're going to tell me that the Martians have landed?" Drake took another look at the two girls staring at him. "That's a pretty convincing get up, though. Those tentacle things look pretty real, and the golden eyes with the cross. Was that a custom made contact lens?"

"I can see you aren't going to believe me." Manfred said, and walked to the glass door. "So why don't you ask them yourself?" He opened the door, and gestured for Drake to enter.

"Yeah, I'll be happy to put an end to your joke." Drake entered the room, and looked at the two girls. Surprised, they started slowly backing away. "Wow, looks like dad really scared you, huh?" He said. The two continued backing away. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna take you back outside."

"Vu ronnom kamin vek nagyen. Nach sev flach nesowitz." The one wearing green said.

'What the hell language is that? Are they Vietnamese or something?' Drake thought. Even if that were true, that wouldn't explain the strange resonating pitch of their voices. It sounded like the voice was coming from several source at once, but all of them were out of sync with each other, and echoing. 'Man, how far does this joke go?' Drake bent down a little to seem less imposing. "Can you speak English?" He asked the one with the pink clothes.

"Kef na henovu!" The pink one quickly ran to the other side of the room, and stood against the far corner.

"Whoa! Clearly not. I'm here to help you." Drake extended his hand toward the shivering girl, but this only made her press even harder against the far wall. "I – am – not – going – to – hurt-" Drake was cut off when he heard a spitting sound from the right. Instantly, his vision blacked out, as he was sprayed with a heavy liquid. Wiping it from his eyes, he made out the figure of the green one. She had run to the pink girl's side, and was glaring at him, while bearing her teeth. Teeth that were pointed in the middle and sides.

"Shu vorik nami pra fer!" The green one said. Drake left the room as quickly as he could. But as the adrenaline wore off, he noticed that he quickly started feeling sluggish, and rather nauseous.

"Still think this is an elaborate prank- wait, are you okay?" His father said, as he noticed Drake stumble around. He helped his son over to one of the chairs, and started wiping the rest of the substance he was sprayed with from his face. It matched the green liquid sample.

"I'm feeling really numb... and a little dizzy," Drake responded.

"That stuff must have a paralytic substance in it. I need to do more tests on that sample," Manfred said, as he finished cleaning Drake's face. "Hopefully, it will wear off soon."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"So, Drake, are we ready to admit that those aren't cos-players, but rather an unknown and clearly intelligent species?"

"Is this really the time for an 'I told you so?'"

…

"Are you okay, Callie? Did he hurt you?" Marie asked her cousin, after the intruder had left the room due to her little attack.

"Y-yeah, nothing happened. I was just scared, that's all," her cousin replied. She was clearly shaken up, but other than that, the two were unscathed. Callie then started observing the two creatures from behind the glass. "I kinda feel bad for him though."

"Why? He came at us, remember?" Marie responded with a surprised look.

"Yeah, but..." Callie paused. "I dunno. Just a feeling, I guess. I don't think he was trying to hurt us."

"Then why did you corner yourself like that?"

"I-I said I was scared, okay!" Both girls turned their attention to the young one, who was getting his face treated by the older creature. "Actually, he kinda looks the same age as us."

"Where did you come to that conclusion?" Marie said, and gave her cousin a doubtful look. "For all we know, they could live twice as long as us." She turned back to watching the creature get his face cleaned. "But I wonder why my ink wasn't effective. It certainly wasn't enough to splat, but it should have done more than barely stun him.

"I'm just glad we didn't hurt him too much."

"Seriously, Cal, have you forgotten they are keeping us prisoner."

"I... wish there was some way we could talk to them." Callie said, and looked down. "Maybe we could at least learn why."

"True, if it wasn't for this strange language, we might have been able to make a deal."

"Or we could apologize for spraying him."

"Like hell! Not until they apologize for putting us in this cage!"

"#%&*#%*& #*(%&#(%&* #*(%& Dr4k3" Callie's ears twitched and perked up again. She gave her attention back to the two men.

"What is it, Callie?" Marie asked.

"Deeeraaakkkeee... Drrreeaakkeea... Drrraaaakkkeee... Wait, that's it!" Callie banged on the window several times, and the two creatures quickly turned to her with a surprised expression.

"Callie! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Marie was at a loss over her cousin's sudden change in behavior.

"Don't you remember? The Grizzco dig site! The ID cards we found! It's him!" Callie banged on the window again.

"What? But he was already dead, remember? It could be someone with the same name."

"It's not just the name. Remember the picture? Now that I can get a good look at his face, it's exactly as I remember it. How could he have both the exact same name and face?"

"But they dug up his bones and everything." Marie was still trying to process this, as Callie continued banging on the window, while trying to pronounce the unusual name.

"Deerrrraaakkkeee! Drrraaakkkeee! Draaakkee! Drake! Drake Drake!"

"If this is true, then I was right all along. It is the elder race," Marie muttered.

…

"That... was my name... wasn't it?" Drake was staring at the pink creature, who looked right back at him.

"I think... so?" Manfred responded. "It's hard to tell with that strange resonating echo pitch, but I'm pretty sure she just learned your name. I wonder why you, though. They didn't seem to pick up on my name, or John's." The pink creature hit the glass again.

"Drake! Drake! Drake!" She repeated again. Then she pointed at him. "Drake?"

He exchanged a look with his father, then turned back to the glass wall that separated them. "Yes – my – name – is – Drake!" He slowly said.

"Su maken vhoru kama menhi?" She gave him a confused look.

"Drake," he said, even slower. He then pointed to himself, and said it again. The girl seemed to understand this time. She then pointed to herself.

"C44444lllliii33333."

"Collie?" Drake tried and failed to repeat the girl's name.

"Caaaalllliiiieee," She repeated.

"Callie?" The creature nodded in response.

"Callie!" She then pointed to Drake again. "Drake!" She then glanced over to the green clothed girl, who had been silent until then, and pointed. "Maaaarrrriiiieeeee."

"Nach vorsh mageni nobu nagem mani tan." The green one said something to the one called Callie, and gave her a rather disaproving look.

"Marie?" Drake said, and the green one also gave Drake a hostile glare.

"Nan fok marca kemi juvo kuna," She said.

"Pamin hura kor lam juri sanf," Callie said to the green on, then she turned back to Drake. "Drake!" She then put her hand against the glass, open palm.

"Callie," He responded, and put his own hand against the glass, where her hand was. While her hand was a little smaller than his, they were similar in shape and build. On seeing this, Callie smiled for the first time since they had been captured.

"Sev kami novu haran vors temi. Ahaha!" Callie giggled a bit after the end of that statement, and continued to smile at him.

"She's... so brave and... cute," Drake said. "Now I feel bad for keeping them in there. This isn't right."

"I do too, but we don't have a choice. If the government catches them," Manfred started to say.

"Then who knows how long it will be before they get cut up or something," Drake responded with a sigh. "If only we could get them to understand. They would be able to roam the house, at least."

"Now I wish I had been able to get the autotran working. But who has time for that with the world ending." Manfred shook his head.

"Then I guess we have to teach them English. That's not going to be easy. Their language is so unusual."

"Well, I'm glad you seem to have gotten started with them, because now I need to tell you the other reason I had you come down here," Manfred said, and Drake turned to him with a confused expression. "I want you to be their caretaker."

Drake just gave him the most disbelieving look possible. "What?"


	4. Chapter 4 – Adapt and Survive

"Caretaker? Seriously? What makes you think I can take care of them? Why am I taking responsibility for your escapades?" Drake was looking at his father with a expression that couldn't have been more bewildered. His father brings home a new intelligent species that shouldn't exist in the first place, then makes him take care of them. While he was successful in getting the one called Callie to talk, all he had done was learn their names. The language barrier stopped any further discussion. Not being a scientist, Drake didn't really have any qualifications to care for them.

"Look, Drake, I'm going to have my hands full with the project as it is. Just studying them will take what little free time I have left. That's why I need you to look after them while I work," Manfred responded. They turned back to the glass room. Still in the clothes Manfred and John had found them in, Callie and Marie were sitting on the bed. Since they no longer had their hats, the tops of their tentacles were exposed, and Drake couldn't help but stare at them. Callie's were black, and went down in a twin-tail style that were pink at the tips. Marie's were light gray and green, and went out to the side. Both girls had their tentacles tied in bows.

"But why me? I'm not a scientist. First off, I wouldn't know the first thing about... what ever they are. Not to mention that you are the one that learned perfect English after being born and raised in Germany, and learning two other languages besides." Drake responded.

"You've already got a start with them. The pink and black one seems like she would be willing to talk to you. Besides, you're the one that said that she's cute."

"Dad, really?" Drake just shook his head.

"But joking aside, my lack of time is only part of the reason. I know what happened this morning. I also know about the nightmares about your sister." Manfred's expression went deadly serious.

"What? How did... It was her, wasn't it?" Drake gave him an irritated scowl. "What else has she been telling you?"

"Nothing. But you can't blame her. I know you would have done the same thing if you saw her point a gun at herself. What was it she told you? Oh, yes. 'Find a new reason to live.' So now I'm giving you one."

"This is... ridiculous..."

"Well, it's either my way, or I confiscate your guns. You may be a legal adult now, but this is still my house, and you're still my son. I can't lose both my daughter and my boy," Manfred responded. Drake just sighed in irritation.

"Fine. I guess I don't have much choice, do I?" Drake turned back to the two girls. Callie was watching him curiously, while Marie averted her eyes. "But where do I even start?"

"Well, I would say get them something to drink. They were out for a while, and who knows how long it's been since they had some water." Drake nodded in response to his father, and went back upstairs. As he approached the kitchen, he started smelling a rather appetizing aroma. When he entered, he saw his best friend by the stove. The smell was coming from her area, and she appeared to be cooking something.

"What the... Hannah? Where did you come from?"

"I came to see how you were doing, and I've been here for a while. I figured since you two were down there for so long, you stooges would have forgotten about dinner. So be thankful you have a nice friend like me that will cook for you. Most girls would have bailed by now."

"And most guys would have gotten fed up with your idiot boyfriends. Anyway, what are we having?"

"Fish. We bought a few extra Bass at the store today, so mom had me bring some over." Hannah turned her attention back to the stove. "It will be ready in about ten minutes, so let your father know."

"Right. Thanks, Hannah." Drake quickly grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, and filled them with water. Leaving Hannah behind, he brought the two glasses back to the basement.

"That took a while. And what's that smell?" Manfred asked as Drake entered the room.

"It's Hannah. She's making dinner for us," Drake responded, and Manfred's eyes widened.

"That... that could be bad. If she finds out about this-"

"I get it. I'll come up with something to keep her occupied." Drake opened the door to the holding area. Immediately, they both jumped off the bed, and Marie took a defensive stance. "Relax, Marie. I just brought you something."

"Van asa shu nach yani vora." Marie said, her guard still up.

"Marie, shu sevim va qua relim meni." Callie responded, then turned back to Drake. "Drake, ina tamin fura umi?" She turned her attention to the glasses filled with water.

"Water," Drake said. Callie just tilted her head. "Waaaaatttteeerr."

"W444444tttt33333rrrr?"

"Waaaattttteeerr" Drake said again, slowly.

Waaaattteeer? Water?" Callie said, and correctly pronounced the word. Drake nodded his head, and handed her one of the glasses.

"Navi shu!" Callie said, and took the water. Clearly, Manfred was correct, as she downed half the glass in one gulp. She then turned to Marie. "Marie, ackin shu harami?"

"Callie, shu yari tani urasni." Marie slowly approached Drake, while avoiding eye contact. She reached for the other glass, but Drake pulled it back.

"Waaatttteeerr," he said, and Marie gave him a dirty look. "Waaattteeerr."

Seeing that he expected her to repeat the word, she tried her best to imitate her cousin. "W4444tt3333r. Waaatt333rrr. Waaaattteer. Water. Tecks en sham nin!" Marie yelled. Drake held the glass out for her, and she snatched it from him, causing some of the water to spill.

"Marie! Anari sham navi shu!" Callie said with a disproving look. Embarrassed to be reproached by her cousin, Marie looked up at Drake.

"Navi.. shu," she said, and turned away to drink the water.

"Your welcome?" Drake left the room to let them finish their drink. "So what now?" He said to his father.

"I'm guessing now that they aren't thirsty, they are going to be hungry."

"True, but what are we supposed to feed them? Can they even eat our food?"

"You said Hannah was making fish, right?" Manfred asked as he turned back to the girls. "The tentacles, the fact that they have this inky substance... If I'm right, then fish should be the perfect thing for them. See if Hannah has any extra fish that she hasn't cooked yet, and bring it down." Doing as his father suggested, he went back upstairs. A few minutes later, he came back down with the extra fish that Hannah hadn't cooked.

"Well, I got the fish, but she's getting suspicious," Drake said.

"Then let's get them fed. I swear, Drake. You really have some troublesome friends." Ignoring his father, he went back into the holding room, and placed the plate of raw fish on the table.

"Fiiiiissssshhh." He said. The two looked at the fish.

"Fiiiissshhhh?" They both responded.

"Huh, you two are learning fast." He watched as they both picked up a fish, then brought it to their mouths. Before biting, however, they both pulled the fish away, and gave it a disproving look. "What's wrong?"

"Nen Fiiisssh. Eni kan gura nacta fiiish." Callie said. They both put the fish back on the plate, and stepped away. Drake glanced at his father, who shrugged in response.

"I wonder what went wrong. They seemed to want to eat it until right before they bit in," Drake said, as he came back out.

"Maybe they just can't eat Bass?" Manfred responded.

"Or maybe, you shouldn't expect them to eat raw fish." Jumping at the sudden voice, both men turned to the basement door. There, holding a plate with several cooked fish, was Hannah. "Honestly, I would also be offended if I was them. Not everybody likes sushi, you know."

"H-how? When did you-" Drake started to say.

"I came down here earlier, but you two were too busy arguing to notice me. I heard the whole discussion about the non humans," Hannah responded. She looked over to the other room, and the two girls instantly hid behind the bed. A few seconds later, their golden eyes peaked over the top. "Is that them?"

"W-well, yes... but Hannah-" Manfred started to say.

"Awwwww! They're soooo cuuuuttteee!" Hannah cooed.

"Y-yes they are, but-"

"Can I feed them? Can I?" Hannah said, excitedly.

"I think you'd better leave that to Drake. They don't seem to respond well to anyone else, yet," Manfred said. Hannah turned to Drake, and put a smirk on her face.

"Really, Drake? You finally get a girlfriend, and it's a pair of non-humans?"

"Very friggin' funny, Hanna," Drake responded, and snatched the plate of cooked fish. He placed it on the table, and the two girls quickly rushed over.

"Navi shu!" Callie said, and quickly bit into the fish. "Getis sin jeti tanin!" Marie also started eating the fish with Vigor. Drake could see Hannah mouthing an 'I told you so'. After finishing their food, Callie tapped Drake's side. "Drake-" She started to say, then her face went red. "En hemi rusa nami besru." Drake gave her a questioning look, and she repeated her statement, then pointed to the toilet.

"Oh... oh, right." Drake said, and left the room. "I think she has to use the toilet, and you didn't put anything in there to... well, obstruct the view."

"Sounds like a good time for us to eat our own dinner," Hannah cut in. "I want in on this, and you two can give me all the details!" Groaning, the two followed Hannah out of the basement.

…

Shara and Kelly had reached the end of the line of rooftops, as their path was obstructed by a large intersection. On the other side of the street, was a vary large and spacious building. Unknowingly, they had come across the city convention center. "I guess we have no choice. We have to squid jump across," Shara said.

"Did you forget the last time we tried jumping? We attracted the attention of half the damned city!" Kelly replied, and crossed her arms.

"You got a better idea?" Shara snapped. Kelly didn't respond, and Shara turned her attention back to the large building. "Going down to ground level wouldn't be a very good- wait a minute." Shara stopped when she noticed something off about the creatures that were going in and out of the building. "Kelly, do those goggles of yours have a zoom function?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Give them here." Shara reached her hand out.

"You're getting pretty damn bossy, you know that?" Kelly responded, and glared at the orange Inkling.

"Give them here PLEASE!" The Octoling elite grunted in response, and passed over the goggles.

"It's the two buttons on the top right," Kelly said, as Shara put on the goggles. "Honestly, you are more trouble than you are worth."

Getting a feel for the goggles, Shara zoomed in on the creatures. "What the... these are different from the ones that were chasing us before. Take a look." Shara passed the goggles back, and Kelly peered at the mass below.

"W-what? What's going on here? Wait, that one looks like an Oceanic!"

"Let me see." Kelly passed the goggles back to Shara, and she looked to where Kelly was pointing. On their side of the street, they saw what appeared to be a tentacled creature of some sort. "You're right. It almost looks like- wait, what is he doing?" The creature suddenly removed the tentacles from his head, and they could see the face of one of the natives that they were rapidly becoming familiar with.

"Wait, did he just-" Kelly started to say.

"Hold on, I think I get what's going on," Shara interrupted.

"You do? Seriously?"

"I think it's a costume party."

"A... what?" Kelly gave her a confused look.

"You don't know what a costume party is? What is with you people?"

"So stop being a shark shit, and just tell me already!" Kelly snapped.

"A costume party is.. well, your supposed to dress up as anything that you normally aren't. Different races, occupations, favorite characters... I even saw someone dress up as a hot dogfish once." Kelly was giving her a vary blank look. "Look, if I'm right, we can just walk right in."

"Are you crazy?"

"Listen, would you? If we sneak down and walk with the crowd, we can blend in. They will think we are one of them in costume."

Kelly looked down at the crowd again. "That... might just work. Well, since it's your idea, you first." They used a nearby fire escape to jump down to street level. They found a group of cos-players, and closely followed them to the building. Shara had been right, as the nearby police officers payed them no attention. When they got inside, they separated from the group they were following and looked at their surroundings.

"Holy fish! This place is huge!" Kelly said. The building was packed with people, all wearing different costumes. Some were wandering around the ground floor, while others headed upstairs and into various rooms. Others wear eating at a nearby food court.

"Keep your voice down!" Shara said, but her warning came too late. They quickly attracted attention of several other cos-players, and soon found themselves surrounded.

" $#%#% %#()&%#& #)%*#%" A nearby female spoke up, and was looking at her with an expression of amazement.

"#%(#%(*#% (#)*% #%$#%" A male said. He held up an object that looked like one of their own squid phones. "#*%&#%*&(#%&" Shara looked around, and saw several other groups were pointing their phones at other cos-players, and appeared to be taking pictures as they struck poses.

"I think they want to take our picture," Shara whispered. "Make a battle pose, and maybe they will leave us alone once they are done." Shara quickly positioned herself into a street fighting stance that she had seen her ex boyfriend do, while Kelly held out her knife in a slashing position.

"#%&**)#&%)(#&%!" The creatures seemed to like this, and they could hear various clicking sounds. After several minutes, the creatures put their phones away and left, but then more started showing up, all wanting pictures. This went on for around 15 minutes, as they continued to make different poses and have their pictures taken. Finally, the crowd around them dispersed, and they quickly went to another part of the building.

"Who knew getting your picture taken could be so tiring," Kelly complained. "But what's going on over there?" Kelly pointed to a line of people that were filing into a very large room.

"I don't know, but it looks like some sort of market?" Shara responded. Inside the room, there were many stalls that displayed various artistic items, from figures to pictures. "Looks like you need some sort of card to get in." The creatures were flashing a small badge at the bouncers, who would let them in after glancing at it. "A pity. I would have liked to do some shopping."

"Are you kidding me? We don't even have any money. Besides, it's too crowded. Let's try to find someplace that isn't packed. I need to sit down." They continued to walk around for a bit, then they came across a small empty room. After checking to see if the coast was clear, they quickly entered and shut the door behind them, then set the lock.

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

Kirk stood on the roof of one of the apartment buildings at Flounder Heights. This was the only area that was still under Inkling control. The only reason they were even able to hold on to this district, was due to the fact that the Octarians and the Tentatek traitors had turned on each other. But even with this diversion, they knew that it was only a matter of time before Octavio's forces would be at their door step.

"It's a painful sight, isn't it?" The female soldier asked. Kirk continued to look at his home land. The damage to the city was heavy, and fires raged in multiple blocks.

"The worst part is that we can't do a single thing about it." Kirk responded. Even with Neptune's suicide attack on the Octobot, it still wasn't enough to stop their momentum. The Octarians had simply gained too much of the city under their control, and their former partners in crime, the Tentatek militia, had prevented the army from mounting any sort of counter-attack.

"Well, the battle may be lost, but the war isn't over yet. Not until team bento says it is," the soldier replied.

"What do you mean?" Kirk gave her a confused look. "What can we possibly do now?"

"We're planning on an organized retreat to Calamari County and the other small towns. Which brings me to my next point. I need you to get the defenses at Calamari organized, while I lead the retreat."

"What? Why me? I- I mean, I'm no leader..." The soldier cut him off, when she received a message on her communicator.

"I just got word from those Octarian spies. Octavio's army is headed this way. We don't have time to argue, so head to the parking garage. There's a pair of junior detectives that will give you a lift to Calamari County."

"But-"

"Just go! I need those defenses in place, or our retreat will be for nothing!"

"Alright, but be careful." Kirk turned away, and headed for the parking garage. He quickly caught sight of the two Inklings standing by a van.

"Y-you Kirk?" The first one asked. He was wearing a dark green outfit that covered almost all of his body. "She told us to take you to Calamari." Kirk just nodded in response.

"Good," the other Inkling said. "Get in the back. I for one, want to be out of here before the fireworks start." Doing as he was told, he got in the van, and the other two got in the two front seats. They quickly started the engine, and speed towards the city exit. Kirk glanced back to flounder heights one last time. Unknown to him, a lone female was watching his escape.

"Good luck, friend. Sorry, but I will be joining my partner before I see you again." She raised her charger, and prepared to meet the incoming Octarian forces.

…

Earth 2015 A.D.

It's been several days since the two creatures known as Callie and Marie were brought to Manfred Von Kaufmann's lab. During this time, they had outfitted the holding area to be a little more accommodating to the the girls. Manfred had brought in a proper bed, and Hannah set up curtains over the glass wall to give them some privacy. Drake had brought in a small flat screen Television, and it was quite a shock to find out that they already knew how to use it. Their English lessons were also progressing, and they were starting to be able to hold very basic conversations with Drake. Today, however, a new problem emerged.

"It's starting to smell like a fish market in there," Hannah said, as she came out of the room. "How long has it been since they had a bath and changed their cloths?"

"The haven't done either since they got here," Manfred responded. "I'm not sure they even have any spare clothing."

"Well, we could try asking them," Hannah said, and they went back inside the room. Drake was asking Callie questions, while Marie stood and watched. Her English was progressing slower than Callie's, and she seemed more interested in watching over Callie, rather than talking.

"So you're species are called Inklings?" Drake asked.

"Yes, we Inklings. We from city Inkopolis," Callie responded.

"Inkopolis? What kind of place is that?" Hannah asked.

"It big. Many different people live in. Like porim gami, uh, jelly... fish."

"Jelly fish? So you live under an ocean?" Manfred cut in. Callie shook her head.

"Me live on land. We no survive... in water. Can't swim, and some dangerous... water."

"Fascinating. What planet are you from?"

"Pa- pellllaaanniitt?" Callie asked and tilted her head.

"The world you live on. We live on earth," Drake answered for his father.

"Earth? Suvo ni! We live in Earth!"

"That's impossible! We've never seen your species before, and we would have discovered your city!" Manfred said in a raised voice. Callie let out a squeak, and Marie hissed at him.

"Cool it, old man! You're scaring them!" Hannah said with a glare.

"Elder race..." Marie said, and everyone turned to her. "You elder race," she repeated, and pointed at them. "You bones... we found."

"Elder... what? And you say you found a skeleton?" Manfred asked.

"Not you," Marie responded. Then pointed at Drake. "You bones."

"Homi Beso forus! Marie, bad!" Callie said in a raised voice, which surprised everyone. She then turned back to the humans. "Speaking... hard for I. Can't... talk about yet."

"Now, now. It's okay," Hannah said, and put on a forced smile. "How about you tell us about yourselves. Are you two sisters? Family."

"Faaaammaally? Sisters? Oh! No sisters. We cousins," Callie said, and embraced Marie. She jumped with a small squeak, but then relaxed and let Callie do her thing. "Marie family!"

"So these Inklings have the concept of family, too. I wonder what other traits they share with us," Manfred said to himself.

"Family..." Marie said with a low voice. "Gesu na kuma. Gramps."

"Gramps!" Callie jumped up. "Necht kesu lowam. We need go home! We Gramps worried." She then walked up to Drake. "Drake, please! Let go home!"

"You... can't" Drake responded, and Callie's face sank.

"Why?" Marie said. "Why you keep us?"

"It's for your own safety," Drake said, and they gave him a confused look. "The government... Bad people are out there. If they catch you, they will... well, let's just say that you will never get home."

"B- but."

"Please, Callie. We don't even know how to get you home."

"What he means to say," Hannah cut in. "Is that we can't let a cute girl like you go off on your own, and that he will protect you if you stay here." Drake rolled his eyes.

"She's right. Maybe once we can talk better, we can get a better idea of where you come from, and we can help you get home," Drake said. The two girls glanced at each-other.

"Okay.. we stay here."

"Good! Now that that's settled." Hannah walked forward and bent down. Callie backed up a little, and Marie stepped in front of her. "We need to get you two cleaned up."

"C-cleaned?" Callie said from behind her cousin.

"Bath and a change of clothes," Drake said. "Do you have any extra clothing?" The two shook their heads. "And I don't think either of us have anything that would fit them. Guess we are going clothes shopping."

"What about the bath?" Hannah asked.

"I'll take them upstairs and show them how to use the shower," Manfred said. "If they know how to use a TV, then this shouldn't be hard for them."

"Wait, shouldn't I be giving them a bath?" Hannah asked.

"I think they can handle bathing themselves," Manfred said.

"And I sure as hell am not going into a woman's clothing store by myself," Drake added. "So, can you get their measurements while I get the car ready?" After getting an affirmation from Hannah, Drake quickly went and got a tape measure. As Hannah approached them to get their sizes, Marie hissed at her.

"Shav na arev!"

"Whoa! It's okay!" Drake said in Hannah's defense. "She's just going to get your size for new clothes." Marie gave him a disapproving look.

"Kem noroch. Okay, but alone!"

"Yeah, a little privacy here!" Hannah said. Manfred went upstairs to get the bath ready, and Drake got the car from the garage. A few minutes later, Hannah emerged from the house, and got in the passengers seat.

"Not going to ask their size? I'm surprised," Hannah said.

"Yeah, that's real cute, Hannah." Drake pulled out, and drove back to town. Since they lived out side city limits, it took 15 minutes to get to the nearest shop. They got out of the car, and quickly headed inside. "We should probably get them about 5 full sets each."

"Don't forget the pajamas," Hannah responded.

"What do we need that for?"

"Because not everyone likes to sleep in their underwear like you!" Drake went to the nearest isle and started reaching for various shirts that were in their size. "Really, Drake? You have no sense of style. That's no good."

"We're just getting something for them to wear around the house, you know."

"So? That doesn't mean they should have to look plain!" Hannah started pulling various outfits from the shelves. "This is a great casual look. This one for rainy days. This one for when it's cold. Oh! This would look adorable on Callie!" Because of Hannah's enthusiasm, they finished buying the girl's clothes a lot later than they had meant to. When they got back to the house, they were surprised to see that the two were still in the bathroom. Manfred was standing in front of the door with an expression of absolute loss.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you saw the devil himself," Drake said.

"I... I..." Manfred stumbled. "I was showing them the bathroom. When I turned to leave and let them get cleaned up... Out of the corner of my eye... I.. saw."

"What? What happened?" Hannah asked.

"I saw their bodies change!"

"You what?!" At that moment, they heard a thump from inside the bathroom. "Hey, you alright in there?" Drake yelled. No response. "Callie? Marie? What was that sound?" Again, no response, but another thump. Drake tried the door, and to his surprise, it was unlocked. Thinking that they were in trouble, he quickly threw open the door, but froze up at the sight before him.


	5. Chapter 5 – Bound Through Time.

Drake could only stare wide eyed at the sight before him. Behind him, Manfred quickly averted his eyes, and Hannah was internally panicking. For the next few seconds, the two pairs of golden eyes returned the wide eyed stare. However, despite his best efforts to keep his eyes front and center, they slowly started drifting downward.

"Wha?! Vah ami shu- Drake, why you here?" Callie asked. The two girls had just finished drying themselves off, and had barely gotten their undergarments on, just as Drake had burst in. They then noticed that his gaze was slowly drifting downward.

"AAAAHHHH! Geu ohani!" Marie yelled. As soon as she said this, Drake heard two distinct spitting sounds, followed by the splash of two small streams hitting his face. He stumbled backwards, and Manfred caught him before he could fall. His father pulled Drake out of the bathroom, and Hannah quickly shut the door.

"Dammit! This isn't funny! This stuff really messes with you!" Drake said, as the two helped him clean off his face.

"I don't know, Drake. I think having green on one side and magenta on the other kinda suits you," Hannah responded.

"What does that even- OUCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" Drake roared. Hannah had slapped him in the side of the face, after she had cleaned off most of the magenta ink.

"That's for trying to sneak a peak at those poor girls," Hanna responded.

"YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT I ONLY DID THAT BECAUSE DAD SAID-"

"I know, I know! Don't take it so seriously," Hannah said with an evil grin. Drake swore that she was the devil's daughter. Blond pony tail, and all. "But even still, you looked, so you deserved that slap. But hey, you got two cute girls to mark you."

"Hannah, I swear, if you were anybody else, I'd-"

"You would do nothing of the sort. But in all seriousness, professor, you said that their bodies changed. They looked normal to me. Well, normal for a girl with tentacles and strange eyes."

"Yeah, what gives, dad?" Drake asked, after calming down a little.

"I swear that they changed shape. It... it looked like-"

"Hey! Is Drake okay? What we do now?" They could hear Callie ask through the door.

"We should continue this later," Manfred said.

"Yeah, I'd better give them their new clothes. I'm going to be helping them change their underwear, so I won't go so easy on you if you open this door again," Hannah said.

"Yeah, I got it, I got it," Drake responded. Hannah quickly grabbed two pairs of clothes from one of the bags, and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. After a few more minutes, the effects of the ink like substance had worn off, and Drake was able to stand back up. The door opened, and Hannah came out, followed by the two Inklings. Callie had changed into a pink t-shirt with shorts, and Marie had a green polo shirt and a skirt.

"These clothes not bad. I look okay?" Callie asked, as she walked up to Drake and Hannah.

"Ah, it l-looks pretty n-natural on you, Callie," Drake said rather awkwardly.

"Naaattuuurraalll?" Callie asked with a confused expression.

"He means that it suits you," Hannah said, and Callie smiled a little.

"Ah! Navi sh- Thank you. I feel not bad now that we clean."

"Denu Navi heru fa, Callie! Do you forget what he did?" Marie said with an irritated expression.

"I sure it was not meant!" Callie responded.

"I.." Drake said, unsure what to do. While it was unintentional, he felt it best to take responsibility and defuse the situation as quickly as he could. "I'm really sorry about that. Dad said he saw something wrong, and then we heard noises. We thought something had happened, and-"

"Meni rek kemi nan. Likely story. You no different than fans," Marie said.

"Marie! Drake nice! Hannah nice! They buy us clothes! Be nice, not bad! And you need talk more in human!"

"What do it matter? We need get home!"

"But Marie, we not know how! We not even know where home is! Besides, I want to get know new friends," Callie said with a pout like look.

"Hmpf." Marie said, and turned away. "Maybe true," she muttered.

"I sorry, Drake. Marie not usually like this. She just worried." Callie said with an apologetic look.

"Shuq uras, Callie," Marie responded.

"Well, now that that's cleared up," Manfred said, while clearing his throat. "I know I saw you two change into something else. Mind explaining that?" Callie looked a little dejected.

"We didn't want you to see. You think we weird."

"We won't think that! You're our cute guests!" Hannah said, which surprisingly, reassured Callie.

"Okay, but promise you no laugh," Callie said. Suddenly, her form deteriorated, and her flesh became gelatinous. Drake went wide eyed, Manfred's jaw dropped, and Hannah had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. In two seconds flat, the girl known as Callie had disappeared, and in it's place, was the figure of a squid. Though it's form was considerably different than those seen at aquariums. Callie quickly reverted to her bipedal form, and went red in the face. "So... what you think?" She asked.

"W- wha- what was that?" Hannah asked, still in shock. "Did you just turn into a squid?"

"Our people can, uh, change. I not now how works, but as squid, we can move fast in ink!"

"In ink?" Drake asked.

"What we spit you with," Marie answered for Callie. She still refused to turn back around.

"Hmm, ink, squids... I'll need more samples and data," Manfred mumbled. Luckily for them, nobody thought to ask how her clothes were still on her body.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why where you in there for so long? We were gone for almost an hour," Drake asked.

"Water scary. In Inkopolis, much water polluted, and salt water always dangerous. Also, can't swim."

"That explains why it took almost twenty minutes to coax them to even get close to the shower," Manfred added. Everybody stood in awkward silence for a few minutes before Callie meekly spoke up.

"Can- can we see more of home?"

"Well, we really can't lock them down there anymore, but-" Manfred started.

"It's still dangerous for them to wonder off," Drake finished for him. He bent down a little to look the two right in the eye, since they both only came up to his chest. "You have to promise us that you won't leave the house. It will be a problem for all of us if you are seen."

"Okay, I promise, Drake," Callie said. Drake couldn't read her expression. While she was still down about being kept at this house with no way of returning home, it also seemed like she was glad to no longer be confined to that room. "Marie?" She said, and turned to her cousin.

"Ruromi cha kafi minu. I go where Callie is," Marie responded. Drake lead them to the living room first.

"This is the living room. Feel free to use the TV If you want. You'll find this one to be a lot better than the one I put in your.. uh, room."

"Wow it look like the one at work," Callie said. Next, Drake took them to the kitchen.

"And here's the kitchen. I would say to come here if you are hungry, but you'd best go to father for that."

"What? Why?" Hannah asked.

"Because we don't know what they can and can't eat yet. Besides fish, of course," Manfred answered.

"Ugyhuu... I a little... hungry," Marie said, and looked down to cover her embarrassment.

"I'll make you two some more fish after the tour, cutie," Hannah said, as they left the room. Next, was the attached garage.

"Oh, neat car!" Callie chirped. "I want drive!"

"Danu shu ekin tameni aru imi, Callie!" Marie said.

"Wumo iha kamen dechs!" Callie responded. The rest of them looked at the pair with an expression of loss. Marie quickly ran over to Drake.

"If you care for car, never let her drive," Marie said with a deadly serious look.

"I not that bad! Nyee!" Callie stuck her tongue out at her cousin.

"I shouldn't be too surprised that they have cars if they know what a TV is, but this still defies all logic,"Manfred said, as they all left the garage. After showing them the remaining rooms, say for Alice's old room which still hadn't been cleaned out, the last spot was Drake's room.

"Wait! Wait, I know this!" Marie said, and ran over to the gun cabinet. She peered inside at the various weapons that Drake had collected over the years. "Elder ra- human weapon! We found with bone-"

"Marie! Later! We no talk yet!"

"The more I hear about this "Elder race", and the fact that they say they found our bones, only gives me more questions," Manfred said, "Although..."

"Hey!" Hannah cut in, "If you know about TVs, then what do you know about video games?" She pulled out one of Drake's consoles.

"Viiddeeo gaammees?" Callie then got a closer look at what Hannah was holding. "Oh! OH! VIIIDEEOO GAMES!" She squealed, and Marie couldn't help but to roll her eyes.

"Inside voice, Callie."

"Well, you kids have fun. I'm going to get back to my research. Let me know when dinner is ready," Manfred said, and left the room.

"I would think a single player or co-op game would be best for them, but this one is pretty easy to get into," Drake said, as he pulled out a popular kart racing game.

"While he gets that set up, it's my turn to ask a question," Hannah said. "What did you mean by fans? Are you two popular in this Inkopolis?" Drake also turned his attention back to them, as this sparked his curiosity. The two cousins glanced at each other.

"We... we, uh, what word... perform? We sing and dance for fans," Callie said.

"And we also read news," Marie chimed in.

"That sounds amazing!" Hannah said, and Drake swore he saw stars in her eyes. "I want to hear you sing!"

"M-maybe later," Callie said, and her eyes lowered. "I.. was hope you.. wouldn't find out about it."

"Why not?"

"Fans.. We love our fans, but..."

"Some care about what we are, not who," Marie answered for Callie. "They see squid sisters, not us. And some are very selfish. Hard to tell bad fans from good."

"If I understand right, it sounds like the same celebrity obsession that humans have," Drake said.

"Y-you'd better not treat Callie different!" Marie said with slightly bared teeth.

"We would never!" Hannah insisted. "You're our cute friends!"

"What this cute?" Callie asked.

"It, uh, means you are very, uh, likable," Drake responded. "But she's right. I know we're keeping you here against your will, but I would like to think of you as friends."

"N-navi shu, Drake! Hannah!" Callie said, and beamed a smile that melted their hearts.

"That goes for you too, Marie."

"Hmpf," Marie responded, and pouted. "I still not forgive you yet."

"Well enough of that! It's game time!" Hannah said, and Drake finished setting it up. The Inklings were immediately lost on the title screen.

"What this? I can't read." Callie said.

"Oh, right," Drake said, and he internally face palmed. "If you couldn't speak our language, I should have guessed reading is out of the question."

"Don't worry about it! We'll teach you how to play!" Hannah said, and the games began.

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

In a rather tall skyscraper, DJ Octavio was sitting in a very comfortable chair. For the tenth time today, he glanced at the body of a middle aged Inkling that was slumped over after he had been thrown from what was formerly his chair. Next his body, the damaged statue of the Tentatek symbol was covered in his ink.

"Y'all thought you would get the better of me, didn't cha, ex-chairman Azula Torrent!" Octavio said, as he sipped his fresh drink. "Dumb hipster got whooped at his own game."

"Sir!" Said the loud voice of Colonel Kumi, as she entered the former chairman's office. "The last of the Tentatek militia has been dealt with. What do you want to do with the prisoners?"

"Throw them in with the rest of the ink squirts! We'll be shipping them to Ceph soon. It's the least they deserve after daring to challenge me!"

"As you wish, my general," Kumi responded.

"By the way, who was it that took out Azula's body guards?" Octavio asked. His brows raised into an inquisitive look.

"Lieutenant Karumi, sir. The same one that captured Inkstein at Grizzco for us." Karumi responded. Octavio's face changed to a pleased, but smug grin.

"See? I told you that we need more talented officers to make up for all the slackers in my army. Send her in." After he barked the order, Octavio sat back to finish his drink as he waited for his subordinate to arrive. Karumi entered the room a few minutes later, just as Octavio finished his snack break.

"Reporting as ordered, sir," Karumi said. She wore a rather grim expression on her face.

"Kumi tells me that you were the one responsible for capturing Tentatek's HQ. Is this true?" Karumi nodded in response. "Yah done good, girl. If I had more officers like you, we would have succeeded the first time. No, we would have won the first great turf war, and not had to deal with the disgrace of forced exile!" Octavio continued to boom.

"I understand, sir, but did you have need of me?"

"Watch your tone, whelp!" Kumi snapped, but Octavio raised a tentacle to cut her off.

"Unlike some of these other hipsters, you've served your king well. As a reward, I offer both another promotion, and the command of your own airship."

"You're too kind sir," Karumi responded, still in a nonchalant tone.

"I also have new orders for you. Come closer." Karumi approached her boss, and Octavio whispered something into her ear. Behind her goggles, Karumi's eyes widened.

"Sir you can't be ser-"

"I'm always serious! Do you want to start out your new post by questioning me?"

"N-no, sir."

"Then get your crew prepared, and await my signal. That is all." With a rather unsettling feeling, Karumi quickly left Octavio's new office.

"That went well. You sure like hogging the attention, don't you?" A voice said from behind.

"What do you want, Sargent Carmine?" Karumi asked.

"That's Lieutenant now. Do you always have to show me up?" The crimson tentacled Octoling said, as she tossed her knife up and down.

"I don't have time for this. Shouldn't you be torturing someone right about now?" Karumi responded.

"I wish, but no. Our lord ordered no one else is to be interrogated until we move them underground. Man, that's so boring," Carmine said, as she continued to flip the knife.

"You're still as twisted as ever." Karumi turned to leave, intending to get away from the other Octoling elite as quickly as possible.

"Don't knock it til you try it. And save some glory for me next time!" Carmine yelled after her. As Karumi left the executive floor, she spotted her squad mates pillaging a vending machine.

"Everything all right? You don't look so good," Otoha asked.

"I'll be fine. Right now we need to get to our new post. We're no longer operating on the ground."

"Wait, what? You mean we're part of the airship fleet now?" Osami said with a surprised look.

"And we have new orders." Karumi repeated what Octavio had told her, and the entire squad froze with shock. Olivia spoke up next.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! You can't be serious! You mean, we-"

"Not yet," Karumi responded. "First we pay a visit to Calamari County."

…

Earth 2015 A.D.

"ARRRGGG! I DONE WITH GAME!" Marie boomed, after loosing yet another race.

"Aw, come on, Marie! It fun!" Callie said. "See? I drive fine."

"In game, maybe. You know I no have much time for games. That why you always win!" Marie responded. Her expression grew more pissed by the second.

"Now, now. Let's not get too wound up over a silly game," Hannah said.

"Says the person who won the most races," Drake cut in. While Hannah had been the winner, and Marie in dead last, Drake and Callie had been neck in neck in placement, and Drake only beet her out by one race. "But you're pretty good, Callie. And Marie, that wasn't bad for a beginner."

"Navi shu! We should play more!" Callie said, who was still a little high on euphoria. Marie just responded with another "hmpf".

"You three can keep going, but I'd better get back before mom drags me," Hannah said. They had been playing games for quite some time, and it had gotten rather late. The only time they stopped was for dinner. Drake looked out the window, and saw that some nasty looking storm clouds were beginning to move in.

"Do you want me to drive you home? Looks like it could get pretty choppy out there soon."

"Nah, I'll be fine. The bike should get me home before it starts getting bad. Good night, Callie! Marie!" Hannah said, and left the room. A minute later, Drake looked out the window again, and saw Hannah heading for home as fast as her bike would go.

"Well, I guess we should start getting ready for bed," Drake said.

"Do- do we have go back down there?" Callie asked, with a pleading face.

"I'm sorry, but yes. I'll talk to dad about moving you two to one of the guest rooms, so just bare with it a little longer. Oh, and remember to change into your new pajamas first."

"O-oh, okay. Nocti nomani, Drake." Callie said, and left his room. Marie followed her to the door, but stopped. She turned back and looked like she wanted to say something. Her mouth started to open, but she looked down, then followed her cousin into the hallway.

"I really hope I can get to sleep tonight," Drake said, as the low booms of distant thunder could be heard. "And not have any damned nightmares about her, either."

It was several hours later, when Drake started regaining his senses. "W-what the hell?" He said, as he opened his eyes. He appeared to be in a white room. There was very little else in the unknown space he occupied, and the clear floor made it seem like he was floating. It reminded him of a distinct room that was part of an underwater temple in a classic action adventure that he was rather fond of. Wondering how he came to be in such a situation, he stood in place until a voice from behind caught his attention.

"Been a long time, my brother."

"Alice... so I'm dreaming again." Drake turned, and sure enough, his dead sister was behind him. Only, her form caught him completely off guard.

"What's wrong? My true self too pretty for you?" She looked older than when she had died. Taller and more filled out, she now looked like she was Drake's age, if not a year or two older. But behind the form, it was still clear as day that she was his sister.

"What? How? You look-"

"Careful, Drake. Let's not go there. Besides, you can't deny that a mystery like this gives me more charm," she said with a sly grin.

"I suppose this is better than having to relive that day again, but was I brought here just to be teased?" Drake asked. His emotions were all running in opposite directions.

"Can you blame me?" Alice said, and her expression became serious. "But no. I came here to give you a bit of advice." Alice started to circle around Drake, as if sizing him up. "I know you feel like what happened to me was your fault. That needs to stop."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness. If I hadn't-"

"This isn't about forgiveness!" Alice said strongly, and cut him off. "Besides, It was my fault for running off like that, after saying such an awful thing to you. I should be asking for it, not you."

"But-"

"There's no time for that. You need to let it go, Drake. Do you know how scared Hannah was when she saw you point a gun at yourself? Imagine how it was for me, knowing that it was because of what happened that day."

"I.. just... I can't.." Drake looked down.

"Yes, you can! If you refuse to do it for yourself, then do it for your friends."

"What do they have to do with it?"

"You will have to figure that bit out for yourself. Though, I will say to take care of those two cuties with you. Trust me on that." Alice started moving away after saying her piece.

"Wait! I haven't finished-"

"Take care of yourself Drake. Do your best to remember me as I lived, and not how I died. I'll be waiting for the day we can be together again, but that doesn't mean you can rush to it! You have to at least make me an aunt first!" With that, she disappeared. Drake started to reach after her, but his senses were suddenly jolted with a loud boom.

"ACK!" Drake moaned, as his head started throbbing from suddenly being awoken. Realizing that he was now awake for real, he looked out the window. A flash of lightning, followed by another loud boom, confirmed that the storm was raging that night. "But what the hell was that dream? I'll take it over the nightmares any day, but-" After pondering it for a few minutes, he decided that thinking on it was futile. He tried to sit up, but something was attached to his lower torso. "What the-" Turning, he saw a lump in the left side of the comforter that shouldn't be there. He raised it up, and there, sleeping on her side with her arms wrapped around him, was the black and pink tentacled Inkling. "C-Callie?"

"Ugyu..." She mumbled in her sleep, as if she heard him.

"Why is she here?" As he continued to stare, another crack of thunder hit, and Callie's body shivered rather hardly. "Did the thunder scare her?" Another crack, and Callie squeezed him harder. "I guess so, but then why isn't she with Marie?" After a few more shifts in Callie's body, Drake began to notice the less obvious differences between them.

Occurring that he had never really touched either of them, he placed his hand on her arm. He was rather surprised at how cool and smooth it was, but it still felt like his own flesh. Her tentacles were similar in feel, though with the added slimy affect that wasn't unpleasant. Curiosity overcoming him, he slightly shifted one of her large tentacles, and turned it over. He then placed a finger on the side of the large suction pod, that occupied the inside of the tip. It twitched in response to the touch.

"Ugyaaaa" Callie said in her sleep. Realizing that this might be a sensitive spot, he quickly put the tentacle back in its original place. Callie's grip also loosened up enough for him to climb out of bed, so he could use the bathroom. After relieving himself, he climbed back into bed, and laid back down on his back. Immediately, Callie wrapped her arms around his upper torso, and he felt a tentacle land on his arm. All of this was done during her sleep.

"I wonder if this is why I had that odd dream," Drake said to himself, as he realized that this made him feel surprisingly relaxed. "I guess it's okay for one night. I just need to wake her up before Marie or dad finds us. Or worse..." Drake closed his eyes, and drifted off.

The next morning, he woke up a little earlier than usual. Which was good, because he could get Callie back to her own bed. Or that was the plan, but...

"Oh, shit! It's Marie!" Drake cursed internally, but then immediately noticed something very wrong with the picture. "Wait, what?" There, directly too his right, was the other Inkling. Only, she was fast a sleep. While Callie was sleeping on her side and facing Drake, Marie had her back to him. This caused her tentacles to rest on his chest, but he didn't notice until he lurched forwards.

"Hhhhaaaa? Whhhahaaa?" He could hear Marie say, after having her sleep disturbed by her tentacles getting brushed away. She then turned to him, and realizing her situation, immediately went bright red, and jumped up. "WHA? D-Drake? I- This isn't-"

"In the interest of keeping this from getting more awkward, I'll let it go if you will." Drake turned, and pulled back the covers. Callie was still latching on to him. "But any idea how this happened? Was it because of the storm last night?" Marie nodded her head.

"Yani, sha muvi. Callie, not good with storm. Woke up and saw she gone. Went to wake you to help find her, and saw her with you. Didn't want leave her, so..."

"So you climbed in? I thought you didn't like me, so I'm kinda surprised you let me off that easy," Drake noted. Marie shook her head, but didn't respond. Drake turned back to Callie, who was still sleeping despite the noise. "But still, even if she is a kid, she should know better than climbing into a guy's bed."

"Kid?" Marie said in response. "We not kid. We both adult. For about month now. Even if she act like kid."

"Seriously? I could have sworn you two were... I mean, you are kinda.. short."

"We not short! You just too tall!"

"Well, that's good." A rather angry voice said from the door way. Both Marie and Drake turned to the source with horrified expressions. "We would have had a bit of a problem if you were touching the child."

"H-Hannah? What are you doing here?"

"Do you really think you should be asking questions at a time like this?" Hannah said. The fact that she was smiling during this, made it all the more terrifying. "I'll give you two minutes to explain why I find the two girls in your bed. Ready? GO!"


	6. Chapter 6 – Heist and Rescue

Almost a week had passed since Shara and Kelly had taken shelter in the city convention center. When they first hid themselves in the small room, they decided to sleep off the excitement. However, when they awoke, they found that the building had been completely empty, and all the exits had been locked down. But for the next few days, they saw other events being held in the building's halls. While there were no longer any cos-players, which meant they could no longer hide in plain sight, there was another reason to continue using the building as a hide out.

"This is quite an assortment to choose from. Too bad they don't have any Ramen, though," Shara muttered to herself. In front of her, the kitchen staff were preparing a large banquet for some sort of gathering, and the food being placed on the tables were both numerous and high quality.

"There's a gap between the creatures, over there," Kelly said, and pointed to the far end. "Think you can make it?"

"Watch me. You just make sure to keep up. I'm leaving you behind if we get caught." Shara dashed forward from under her hiding place, and dove under the tables that were being used to prepare the food. They didn't seem to have been spotted, as Kelly quickly rolled under on the other side.

"I'll work this side. You take the other," Kelly said. Waiting till the coast was clear, Shara reached out from under the table, and pulled down the nearest bit of food she could find. Retracting her hand, she pulled down a chicken wing, while the Octoling nicked a sausage. "Haaaah! This food just gets better and better!" Kelly exclaimed. "I may not want to leave if this keeps up." Shara was too busy chowing down to respond. They reached up again, and pulled down a dinner roll, and a few ribs.

"#()%&*# # _%*#_*%# #%(*#%" Several angry sounding voices were heard, and they both stopped eating. After a few minutes, the voices seemed to stop, and they continued eating. Shara, who had finished her second helping, reached out for another portion. Suddenly, she felt something grab her, and she was pulled from under the table.

" $(*U (_$* #%_(*%# $" Being dangled by her arm, Shara came face to face with a rather large and angry looking male creature. "#*$&#*&$-" His rant quickly stopped, when he finally realized that the girl he was holding wasn't one of his own kind. Many of the others in the room were also looking with confusion.

"Put her down!" Rushing from under the table, Kelly landed a heavy kick, right to the male's knee. Cursing, he dropped Shara, and Kelly pulled her to her feet. "I think it's time we ditch this place. Move it, ink girl!" As they ran for the dining hall's exit, the other kitchen staff tried to intercept them, but they were no match for the girls' nimble movements.

"$*&#%*&#%*& #$(* $" As soon as they exited the dining area and entered the main hall, they were faced with several men that had similar uniforms to the cops they had encountered the last week.

"Shit, this way!" Kelly yelled. She weaved in between two of the men, and Shara dove forwards at the one right in front of her. As she slid, Shara changed to her squid form, passed right between the man's legs, and shifted back on the other side. She quickly glanced back, and saw that the police officers were too stunned at what happened to give proper chase. They quickly bolted to the exit at full speed.

"That was too close," Shara said. As they exited, the bright sunlight blinded them. "So what do you suggest we do now?"

"Now... we raise our hands and remain perfectly still," she heard Kelly say, as her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

"Why would we do... oh..."

...

By now, Callie and Marie's English lessons had progressed far enough that they were able to hold normal conversations with relative ease. If not for the fact that the pitch and echo effect of their voices gave them a strange accent, one would wonder if they had been fluent to begin with. The fact that they came this far in such a short time when their languages were so different, only impressed the humans more. Currently, they were playing an old 2D platforming game in Drake's room.

"How can a hedgehog run so fast?" Callie said, as she guided the creature to the end of the level.

"I'm more curious why it's blue and walking on two legs. I thought Drake said hedgehogs were small 4 legged animals?" Marie said, as she continued watching her cousin. "Oh! Here comes the fat bald guy! Callie, let me take over!"

"Not bad, you two. You're about half way through the game. I'm surprised, as these older games aren't easy," Drake said, as he observed from his computer chair.

"Hey, this girl loves her games," Marie said, and pointed to her cousin.

"Says the person who insists on fighting the fat man!" Callie replied with a smug look. "Although, the red guy reminds me of the Octolings.

"What's an Octoling?" Drake asked, and Callie turned back to him after pausing the game.

"Octolings are... like us.. but.."

"But they are our enemy!" Marie cut in with a hiss. "It's because of them that we were sent here!"

"And you say... the fat man reminds you of them?" Drake asked, still confused.

"Not him. The other red guy. The one that looks like the hedgehog."

"Oooohhhh, him. Now I want to see what they look like."

"You're totally right, Callie! I'm not going to be able to unsee that," Marie said with a light laugh. As they went back to their game, Drake heard the doorbell ring. Thinking it was just another delivery for his father, Drake ignored it, and continued to watch the game. That is, until he heard Hannah yell from downstairs.

"DRAKE! THEVOICEOFREASON IS HERE!" They heard footsteps approaching the door.

"Oh... SHIT! You two have to hide, now!" Drake said with a panicked voice.

"Whawha? Where do we go?" Callie said, and the two started darting around the room.

"I don't know, but make it quick! Use your squid form if you have too!" With that, Marie quickly dove in the closet, and Callie changed forms to hide in the mini sofa's cushion. Just as she went out of sight, the door opened, and Drake's friend walked in, followed by Hannah.

"Dammit, Drake!" He said, and looked around the room while adjusting his glasses. "What the hell have you been doing? You haven't answered my messages, you left the team hanging, and then Hannah stops talking." Hannah shrugged at his accusations.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Brandon, but we've been a little busy." Drake responded.

"That's an understatement," Hannah muttered.

"Not too busy to keep Hannah in the loop, though. Seriously, did you ever stop and think about how I had it? The rest of the team is still trying to pry answers from me about your absence. Do you know how concerned I've been?" Brandon moved over to the mini sofa, and started to sit down.

"Wait, don't sit there! Here, have the computer chair instead!" Drake yelled.

"What the heck has gotten into you? I sit here all the time," Brandon responded, and sat down. No sooner had he hit the sofa, they heard a muffled "Eeep" from within.

"What was that?" Brandon asked.

"O-oh, that was just me!" Hannah said, and put a fake smile on her face. "My muscles are kinda sore today." Brandon started sitting back, and again, they heard a squeaking sound from the couch.

"Okay, that time I heard something, and I know it wasn't you," Brandon said.

"You sure you aren't hearing things? All I heard was Hannah," Drake responded.

"That's probably because all the shooting you do has deafened-" Brandon started to shift his weight again, but somehow, he positioned himself in the worst way possible. Callie, who was in her squid form still, was literally launched from the back of the mini sofa. Wide eyed, the other two watched in slow motion, as she came down, and landed on Brandon's lap.

"W-what the?!" Completely stunned, Brandon looked at the squid that was on his lap. Realizing that she was caught, Callie shifted back to her bipedal from. This, understandably, only freaked out Brandon even more. Though, he also went red at seeing that a girl was on his lap. She tried putting on a cutesy, 'whoops, I got caught' look, but that failed to stop the coming storm. "DRAKE! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

…

"This... this can't be right!" Manfred said to himself. He had finally gotten the results of Harkov's analysis. The bulk of the message went as follows:

Professor Von Kaufmann:

I don't know where you and John picked up this sample, but I think my tardiness on this report is understandable, to say the least. The ink (yes ink) sample you sent does seem to have an agent in it that has a paralytic effect on its target. While it doesn't seem to be as effective on humans or other mammals, marine life seems to be quite susceptible to it.

I've also check the DNA composition, and this is where it really gets confusing. Parts of the strands are completely unique, while other parts bare a striking resemblance to a certain marine creature (perhaps this is why the ink agent is effective against aquatic life). The organism I am referring to, is a Cephalopod. More specifically, a squid. I can't give you anymore details at the moment, but I will continue my studies. While I know you and John are busy with a far more important project, any more information would be helpful, or even just seeing the creature that this came from. Leaving me in the dark isn't going to make this go fast.

Lastly, we picked up another unknown substance within the ink, that seems to be separate from the basic DNA strands. I've attached the formula to this message. I will be eagerly awaiting your reply.

Dr. Sergei Harkov.

While the other details of the message had given Manfred plenty to consider, it was the attached formula that really made him scratch his head. "How could I have missed this in my own analysis," he said to himself. He turned to a little pet project that he had been working on the side. "This is the same formula as my mutagen, but how is this possible? I haven't been able to finish it yet. Did someone beat me to it?" Manfred turned back to the computer screen. "Is this the data that I've been missing?"

…

"You do realize just how ridiculous this all is, right?" Brandon said, as he used his hands to support his throbbing head. "I would have honestly found it more believable if you said your dad created them with some sort of weird chemical or something." He was still sitting on the mini sofa, though Callie had quickly gotten off his lap after his little outburst. Marie had also come out of the closet when her cousin was found out.

"I was skeptical too," Drake responded. "I mean, I first thought they were cos-players that my dad had brought here as a joke."

"Yeah, until you got sprayed that is," Hannah said while trying not to laugh. "But I can vouch for what he told you. I mean, I've been here for most of this, and we both saw her... other form."

"Ahaha... sorry about the scare," Callie said with a awkward smile. "Drake told us to hide, and that was the best I could do."

"D-don't worry about it. I-I'm sorry for yelling at you," Brandon responded.

"Ohhh! Look at that red face! I think the 'VoiceOfReason' finally understands the importance of cute girls!" Hannah said.

"Looks awfully suspicious to me," Marie chimed in with a large smirk.

"Oh, hey! It's Marie's signature expression! Haven't seen that since we got here," Callie added.

"You know, you did say it's been a while since I've talked to the team. Maybe it's time I gave them an update," Drake said, joining in on the smirk party.

"DON'T YOU FREAKING DARE!" Brandon yelled, with a rare loss of composure. "Hell, if freaking Tak finds out about this- … Oh... Oh, crap..."

"What are you sweating about? I was just joking about... Oh, shit!" Drake's eyes went wide.

"Uh, care to fill me in on what we're 'oh shitting' about?" Hannah said.

"I totally forgot," Drake and Brandon face palmed at the same time.

"Forgot what?"

"About Tak. He was going to visit the U.S. and was planning on staying here for a few days."

"And unlike me, he can't keep his big mouth shut," Brandon finished for Drake.

"Hey, what's going on?" Callie asked with a confused look.

"It means that we might be going through this routine again in a few days," Drake said with a very exasperated expression. "Even if he can't keep his mouth shut, maybe we should just tell him outright."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Brandon asked.

"With luck, anybody he talks to will just think he's crazy," Hannah said.

"Um, we can just stay in the basement for a few days," Marie suggested. "I suppose it's the least we can do."

"You've kept your end of the bargain, so I won't ask you to go back down there," Drake said, and for once, Marie actually smiled at him. At that moment, they heard a knock at the door, and Manfred walked in.

"Drake we got a- What the?" Manfred's eyes went wide as he saw Brandon and the two squids in the same room. "Why did you let-"

"It was an accident," Drake said, anticipating his father's question. "What's done is done."

"We can trust him to keep it a secret," Hannah added. "After all, he is 'TheVoiceofReason'."

"You aren't going to let that go, are you?" Brandon said, as he adjusted his glasses.

"By the way, something's been bothering me," Callie cut in, and pointed to all three of the younger humans. "Drake, Hannah, Brandon."

"Callie, what are you- ah!" Marie suddenly gasped mid sentence. "You mean... the dig site! The fossils! He was the last one!" Callie nodded.

"Now that we can speak properly, I think we should tell them," Callie said, and the duo turned to face Drake. "I... don't know how to tell you this... but we.."

"We found your fossilized remains," Marie finished for her cousin. "Where we come from, all three of you are dead."

"Dead? Come on, that seems a bit silly. We're here talking to you, aren't we?" Hannah cut in.

"It's true. The fossils had ID cards on them, in addition to armor and weapons. They were faded, but all three had your pictures on them, and a few scientists had translated your names."

"Come to think of it, the first thing Callie said to me in our language was my name. And she acted as if she recognized me," Drake said.

"That's because I remembered the card after hearing your name a few times. Kinda funny how that worked out." Callie made an awkward smile, to try and liven the mood a little.

"Pardon me, but where exactly did you find the remains?" Manfred asked.

"Wait, THAT'S what you want to ask?" Drake said, with a confused expression.

"Well, we found it in some sort of underground building," Marie answered.

"Did the building or ID cards have some sort of symbols on them? Like four half intersecting circles in a square formation?" Manfred pulled out his own ID card, and showed them the symbol he was talking about.

"That... THAT'S IT!" Callie shouted. "I saw that on the ID cards!"

"So... this confirms my suspicion," Manfred said, and started pacing. "They aren't mutants or aliens at all. They... are from the future..."

"Wait, what? From the... future? They're frigging time travelers!" Hannah said with a gasp.

"Uh, dad? You're spacing out there."

"That means we traveled to the past. It explains all the elder race, but how?" Marie said, who was equally mystified.

"Wait, if they are from the future, then shouldn't they know about humans already?" Brandon asked. Callie and Marie both exchanged glances.

"I... I'm sorry but.. but.." Callie started to say with a tearful expression.

"In our time... you are extinct," Marie finished for her. "All we know about the humans are the bones and technology they left behind. We never could figure out what caused it, but the theory is the ocean levels were behind it."

"Then that means... the project failed." Manfred started pacing again. "But this is so... time travel should be... impossible! The physics behind such a thing... and paradoxes alone would be..."

"Before dad has a stroke, why don't you tell us how you got here in the first place."

"I.. I'm not exactly sure myself," Marie responded. "You remember the Octolings that we mentioned? Well, we were fighting their leader, and-"

"Wait, so you two are in the army?" Hannah cut in.

"N-not exactly," Callie responded. "We're sort of an undercover volunteer group. It's small, but our friends are super fresh!"

"Anyway," Marie interrupted before Callie could go on a rant. "He had a device attached to his ship called a rainmaker."

"It's a device made by our ancestors! It's normally a super cool weapon that we use in special games, but-"

"But their leader, Octavio, did something to it. It was glowing an abnormal color, and the shot it fired was several times larger than it should have been."

"He hit is with it," Callie added. "I swore we were dead, but when we came to, we were just outside your city."

"Sounds like you teleported too. The project isn't located anywhere near here," Drake said.

"Are you telling me, that they accidentally invented a method of time travel?" Manfred said, still pacing in his trance. "But apart from that, everything makes too much sense to just deny. The only question left is that substance I found in their DNA. It's almost like..."

"Wait, substance? What are you talking about?" Drake asked.

"Uh, well, uh... we'll talk about that later," Manfred said, and turned back to Drake. "I just remembered, we got another problem."

"What could be more pressing than finding out that the project gets us killed?"

"I've been having John tap into military communications after that little event in the city last week. He picked up something rather interesting. They seemed to have found several creatures very similar to our two guests."

"Wait, what? There are more of us? But who would-" Callie started to say.

"Shara... It has to be Shara! She was with us when the rainmaker hit! Maybe the other agents are here too!" Marie said, and turned to Manfred. "Please! You have to help them!"

"I plan to. We can't trust the government with this. Drake, you come with me. Can you two look after our guests while we're gone?"

"leave it to us, Professor. I think some more Kart racing is in order!" Hannah responded.

"Yay! More racing!" Callie squealed.

"Ugh, can we not play that?" Marie said with a groan.

"But the Marie rage is real," Hannah said, and to Marie's dismay, started up the kart game.

Half an hour later, Manfred and Drake were just outside of the large barricade that the military had set up around the convention center. "They must be keeping them in that armored truck," Manfred said. "I can get us in, but I don't know how we are going to get them out. Assuming that the creatures they found are even more of those Inklings." Drake thought for a moment, then dialed Hannah on his cell phone.

"Drake? What's going on? Did you find the Inklings?" Hannah immediately asked.

"No, we just got to the check point. Can you put Callie or Marie on?"

"Sure, one sec." After a few moments, Drake heard Hannah pass the phone to someone, and Callie's voice came over the phone.

"Oh, this phone is cool!" She said.

"Callie? Can you hear me?"

"I do! What's up? Did you find our friends?"

"Not yet, but can you tell me how to say "Change forms" in your language?"

"Uh, shakai famu, but why?"

"Just something to keep in mind. I'll call you back in a bit." Drake hung up the phone, and Manfred passed him a card.

"Here, take this."

"Is this an ID card? Why do you have one for me when I'm not officially part of the project yet?" Drake asked as he took the card.

"Figured I might as well get it prepared ahead of time, since it's almost guaranteed that you will be accepted. Anyway, stay close and let me do the talking." The two got out of the car, and approached the soldiers that were guarding the checkpoint.

"Halt! This area is restricted. You will have to take the detour," one of the soldiers said.

"My name is Professor Manfred Von Kaufmann. I'm here to offer assistance with the specimen."

"Specimen? I don't know what you think you might have heard, but if you were supposed to be here, we would have been notified before hand." Manfred showed the soldier his ID badge. "What the hell is the U.N. doing here? You have no jurisdiction in the affairs of the U.S. Government!"

"Read the badge again. I'm with the project. Our clearance is unlimited," Manfred responded.

"The project? Wait, you don't mean..."

"Let him through, corporal," A voice from behind said. A man in a hazmat suit quickly approached the barricade. "Professor Von Kaufmann? I'm Doctor Rivas. I don't know how you found out about this, but we could sure use the help of someone of your caliber." The corporal moved the barricade out of Manfred's way. "But who is that?" Rivas asked when he noticed Drake.

"He's my escort. Don't worry, he's with the project too." Drake flashed his ID badge at them, then followed Manfred through the barricade.

"I have to say, I get the feeling that even a top scientists like yourself, hasn't seen anything like this before."

"You'd be surprised," Manfred responded. Manfred, Drake and the army corporal, followed Rivas to the armored truck that was sitting in the middle of a blocked off intersection. Drake noticed that they were right next to the convention center. Rivas opened the back of the large truck. Inside, was a large cage made of reinforced glass. Inside the cage, were two figures that had striking resemblance to the two squid girls that were staying at their home.

"We caught them about two hours ago," Rivas started. "Right now, we're clearing out the convention hall and the nearby buildings to see if there are anymore of them." Manfred leaned in, and played along.

"Absolutely fascinating," Manfred said.

"So, any ideas?" Rivas asked, and both he and the corporal turned to him.

"Well, with everything that's been going on, I do have a few theories." This was Drake's cue, and he moved behind them and peered into the back of the van. By luck, the keys were hanging from a box, just next to the clear cage. The two creatures glanced at him, and Drake made a 'shh' gesture with his finger. He then raised the key into the lock, and glanced back at his father. Manfred made several loud coughs to cover the sound of the lock being disengaged.

"You okay there, professor?" Rivas asked.

"I'm fine. Just getting older, you know?"

"I hear that." As they continued to talk, Drake lowered the front of the case, and made a 'shh' gesture again. The two seemed to understand this, and nodded. Then Drake made a gesture for them to follow him. They hopped off the back of the truck, and he slowly lead them towards the front side. When he was out of ear shot, he turned to the two, and bent down.

"Shakai famu," Drake whispered.

"Nuvani nemi suman nah vomi," The orange one whispered back.

"Shakai famu," Drake said again, not knowing what they said. He hoped they would do as he said with out making a fuss, or they would surely be caught.

"Du woma nem savu," the dark brown one said. Thankfully, the two changed into their other form. Drake was too relieved to notice that one of them had a form that was very different than the squids he had seen before.

"Sorry I couldn't be more help," Manfred said. "That was a very interesting experience, though."

"Well, I guess that's all we could expect with out you being able to do some lab work," Rivas said. "But it's not like we can just hand them over. Even if you are with the project."

"Excuse me," Drake said, as he returned to the group. "But those two things appeared to have escaped."

"Very funny, kid, but we have them- WHAT THE HELL!?" Rivas screamed. "YOU! WHERE WERE YOU DURING THIS!?"

"I had to use the bathroom. When I came back, I saw that the cage was empty. I think I saw something move in the convention center, though."

"Damn! Corporal, get a team in there, right now! We can't lose them again!"

"Hold on, sir," the corporal said, and raised his weapon. "Things were going smoothly until they showed up. I recommend searching them first."

"You have a point, soldier. Alright, kid. Let's see the backpack.

"Surely you don't think they would fit inside-"

"NOW!" Drake handed over the backpack, and Rivas quickly rifled through it.

"As you can see, it's just got a few pieces of electronics in it. Do you want me to empty my pockets too?"

"No, but I think a search of your car is in order." With his rifle raised, the corporal followed them back to the car.

"W-what's going on, sir?" One of the guards asked.

"I want you two to search their car. Make sure you get every nook and cranny!" As the corporal barked his orders, the two soldiers quickly started probing the car. This went on for several minutes, but their search was in vein.

"Are you done violating our car?" Manfred asked. "The more time you waste with us, the more likely those creatures will escape."

"Fine, fine," Rivas responded. "But I expect you to call me if you see or hear anything." Rivas wrote down a number, then handed it to Manfred. As the soldiers left, he balled it up, and tossed it in a nearby bin. Drake climbed into the back of the car, while Manfred got in front. As they started to drive away from the barricade, Drake lifted up his shirt.

"Shakai famu." The two figures that had been latched onto his back and chest, quickly let go, and landed on the other two seats. After changing forms, the orange girl was on his right, and the dark one on his left. The two immediately started talking to him in their native tongue, but since he was unable to communicate with them, he quickly dialed up Hannah's cell.

"Drake? Where are you? What happened?" Hannah started asking.

"Can you put Marie on?" After acknowledging him, he could hear her pass the phone to Marie.

"Drake? Sounds like you found them," Marie said, and she could clearly hear all the background chatter.

"Yeah, we did, but do you mind telling them to keep it down?" Drake passed the phone to the orange girl. Surprised, she dropped the phone, but quickly picked it up again, after realizing what it was. The drive home was rather unnerving, as the two were shouting at each other, while talking loudly into the phone. The fact that he was sitting between them, gave him a rather heinous headache. As they pulled up to their driveway, Drake yanked his phone back, which earned a hiss from the orange one. Callie and Marie rushed over to the car, followed by Brandon and Hannah.

"Shara!" Callie yelled. "I'm so glad you are okay!"

"Neni mahi suva shu tem." The orange one replied.

"You can say that again," Marie said, then turned to Drake. "Thank you so much for finding her."

So, who's this little cutie?" Hannah asked. She leaned in with a grin, but both the orange and dark one bared their teeth.

"Way to give a good first impression, Hannah," Brandon said while shaking his head.

"Guys, this is Shara Taiga! She's from the same group as us," Callie replied. "Shara, den hora kamen Drake, Hannah, Brandon. Tami am omi feniri." Then she turned to the red one. "And that's.. wait, who are- OCTOLING!" Callie reached behind her back, and made a pose like she was holding a large melee weapon.

"Callie, did you forget we don't have our weapons?" Marie said, and looked like she could drop dead from embarrassment.

"What's an Octoling?" Brandon asked.

"Our enemy! Normally they are red, but this one is an elite!" Marie replied. "They must have somehow followed us here!"

"Sami nach ura enumi!" Shara yelled, then stood in front of the dark one with her arms out. "Sami sula mimi"

"What did she say?" Asked Manfred, who watched with a confused and unnerved expression.

"She said that.. the Octoling saved her," Marie responded, and she couldn't have looked more shocked. Drake looked over, and saw the Octoling, who had been silent since arriving at his house, staring at him. Ignoring the questions and comments directed at her, she started slowly walking towards him, until she was just several yards away. She then bent down in a deep bow, as if she was addressing her master.

"Mani nuva Kelly Scylls. Ia am huru tam sa yani kemanovu." Drake looked over at the stunned squid cousins for a translation.

"She... said her name is Kelly Scylls, and that it's an honor to make the acquaintance of the elder race."

…

It was late now. Way past the time when he would normally be asleep. Expecting to be the only one still awake, Drake was quite startled to hear a voice coming from outside the house. His first thought was to retrieve the .45 from upstairs, but then he realized that it was the sound of a girl singing. "Is that Marie?" Drake mumbled, as he looked out the window. He quietly opened the door, and walked to the back porch. Marie was sitting on the large handrail, while gently singing an unknown song to herself. "It's a bit late to be outside by yourself, you know."

"AHHHH!" Marie shouted, and whipped around. "Jerk! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, sorry. That wasn't my intention," Drake responded. He hopped over the handrail, and sat down next to her. Marie turned her attention back to the sky. "So how are your friends doing?"

"Friend, you mean. Shara is pretty tired, and she's sleeping it off in your father's lab. I don't know what the dark one is doing."

"I imagine that father is doing more tests on them," Drake said with a sigh. "But you know this means that we are going to have to start the English lessons all over again."

"Well, this time you have two girls that can speak both languages helping," Marie responded, and glanced back at him. "So it can't be that bad. Well, for Shara anyway. Not my job to pay attention to the Octopus."

"I don't know what beef you have with her, but she seems agreeable to me."

"You would think that," Marie said, and rolled her eyes. "But I guess I don't really want to have to constantly translate for her, either."

"I guess I'll take what I can get," Drake said. The two stopped talking, Marie returned to watching the sky, and silence ensued for several minutes. Then, Drake spoke up again. "By the way, your singing voice is very beautiful. I've been wanting to hear you and Callie for some time now. Ever since you mentioned being singers." Drake could see the side of her face go red.

"You... really mean that?"

"I don't flatter. Ask Hannah if you don't believe me. So what song was that?"

"I-it was a new solo song that we were supposed to Debut at an upcoming concert. It's called Tide Goes Out. I was just trying to get a bit of practice in."

"Well, don't let me stop you," Drake said, and Marie smirked a little.

"You missed your chance on that one. Should have just stayed quiet." The two stopped talking again. Nothing was said for sometime, but the next to break the silence, was Marie. "Hey, Drake?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that I've been so awful to you. Especially when we first met." Marie turned to look him right in the eye. "You feed us, you gave us a place to sleep, taught us your language... and I've just been rude to you. Part of it was to protect Callie, but... I was also just scared. I'm not as brave as people think."

"I kinda figured that was the case. It's fine, Marie. Why don't we call it even for the bathroom incident?"

"Another thing I need to apologize for. I know you aren't like that. But I-" Marie started to go on another tangent, but Drake cut her off.

"Nobody is perfect, and trust me, we all screw up. Hell, people tell me all the time that I'm too cynical."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have a negative look out life. Look, forget it. Friends?" Drake stuck out his hand. After hesitating a little, Marie took it.

"Friends."

"Now that's what I wanted to see! My dear cousin and our human friends making up!" A voice from behind shouted.

"WHAAAAAAA!" Marie yelled, and fell off the handrail. "DAMN IT, CALLIE! NEVER MIND THE SPYING, DON'T I ALWAYS SAY TO NOT SNEAK UP ON ME!" Marie quickly climbed back up, and Callie took a seat between them.

"Sorry! I was just so happy that you two are friends now! I hate it when people I care about fight."

"We were never fight- oh, forget it," Marie said, and buried her head in her hand.

"Hey, since you heard Marie sing, how about one of our regular songs next?" Callie asked.

"Callie, you can't be serious," Marie responded with a glare.

"Aw, come on! Are you going to ruin the moment now?"

"Says the person who ruined it first. Fine, but only one." After clearing there throats, the two started to sing Maritime Memory. Drake listened with great interest at their voices, their perfect harmony and their passion.

"That was really amazing. I can see why you two are famous."

"That.. really means a lot to us," Callie said. "Thanks, Drake."

"It's not often we got to hear from people that aren't already fans. Or from real friends," Marie said.

"Hey, hey! I have a solo too! You'll love Bomb Rush Blush!"

"Callie, have you even been practicing," Marie asked with a tired look.

"O-oh, good point. I haven't thought about that since we came here," Callie said, looking dejected.

"There has to be a way," Drake muttered to himself.

"Huh, What?" Callie asked, and both girls turned to him.

"Father has to find a way. We'll find a way to get you home."

"T-that's sweet of you, Drake," Callie said, and put her hand on his arm. "But you don't have to force yourself for our sake. I-I like it here with you and Hannah. And that other friend of yours seems pretty funny."

"It's not that," Drake responded while shaking his head. "There's something else. Something I haven't told you yet." Drake turned and looked Callie in the eye. Then Marie. "We have to get you home before next summer. In less then a year, the world is going to end."


	7. Chapter 7 – Crossroads

Another week had passed since Shara and Kelly were rescued by the Von Kaufmanns. After going through many of the same routines as Callie and Marie did, as well as getting new cloths and almost non stop English lessons, the two newcomers were slowly adjusting to their new life. With 2 humans, 3 squids, 1 octopus, and 2 more humans frequently visiting, the house was getting rather full. Currently, everyone was gathered around the dining room table.

"So let me confirm what we know so far," Kelly said, as she tried to keep the conversation on track. "The squid sisters said they found your bones at a dig site, and you told them that the world was ending next year. Do I have this correct?"

"It all fits everything they told us," Manfred responded. "I'm transferring to the project next month, and Drake and his friends were to follow a few months after. I'm still not convinced of the time travel, but if it's true, and we really don't have enough time to save our race, then it makes sense that you would find all of our remains at the facility."

"But how.. does it happen?" Shara asked. "I mean, my textbooks never said how the elder race... died." Shara looked confused, as Manfred cleared his throat.

"It's really quite simple. Pollution. We ruined both the air and water, and now we're paying for it. We expect the ice caps to melt this year, and that will cause the ocean levels to raise dramatically. In a few years, most of the world will be under water."

"That explains why there's so little land in our time. It's their fault," Shara muttered.

"SHARA!" Callie yelled, and jumped from her chair. "Don't talk about our friends like that!"

"YOUR friends, you mean! I don't-"

"Have you forgotten who went out of their way to save you?" Marie said in a calm but firm tone that surprised everyone. "They didn't have to do that, and they certainly didn't have to feed and house you."

"Well, I... oh..." Shara looked down and had an expression of shame. "Sorry, I... this isn't easy to digest, and we haven't exactly had a good experience with you humans."

"You have a problem with anyone who isn't like you. She did the same thing to me when I helped her," Kelly said. Her expression was even more difficult to read than ever. "This is why I don't trust squids."

"EXCUSE ME FOR NOT TRUSTING MY ENEMIES, OR PEOPLE THAT LOCK ME IN A FISH TANK!"

"ENOUGH, AGENT FOUR!" Marie yelled. After pulling rank, Shara immediately shut up out of reflex. "Sorry about her. She's always been over protective of our race."

"Oh, look at Marie! Such a turn around from a week ago," Callie said with a snicker, that earned her a glare from her cousin.

"Don't worry about it. Not like the human race is anything to write home about, anyway," Drake muttered.

"There goes the cynic again," Hannah cut in. "I know you weren't exactly mister sunshine before, but ever since the accident, you've been way too damn negative!"

"Hannah, don't..."

"I wonder what Otome would have thought about this," they heard Kelly say, and everyone turned to her. "She was always fascinated by the elder race."

"Who's Otome? Don't tell me there's another one of you running around out there," Brandon said, after being quiet for most of the argument. Kelly didn't respond.

"Her friend," Shara answered for her. "Her late friend."

"O-oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Callie said.

"It's not your fault," Kelly replied with a low voice. "It happened before I came here."

"Oh, but you'll blame me for it," Shara muttered.

"This bickering is pointless," Manfred cut in. "Throwing the blame around isn't going to change our situation. Or yours for that matter."

"Professor, I have a question." Everybody gave their attention to Brandon, who had spoken up. "According to their account, the project failed. Do you have any idea why?"

"Well, if I had to guess, it was the lack of time. We estimated that it would take at least a year to finish the development of the cryopods, and another two to three to finish the other half of the project. Hell, the facility isn't even finished with it's construction yet."

"What's a cccrryyyooopood?"

"Not now, Callie."

"Well, there you have it," Manfred finished explaining, and sat back down with his arms crossed. "We can't stop our world from ending, and we have no way to send you back to your time. I'm sorry if this alarms you, but it's the old between a rock and a hard place situation."

"There has to be a way to help them," Drake said with a low voice. For a time, everyone went silent.

"I have an idea," Marie said to break the silence. "Can you get me a pen and some paper?" Hannah quickly fetched the gray and green inkling a note pad and a fresh pen. Marie jotted down about a paragraphs worth of words, then passed it to Drake.

"That... is some interesting writing you have there. I can't even begin to comprehend this language," Manfred said, as he peered over his son's shoulder.

"So, what do I do with this?" Drake asked while looking at the strange writing.

"Just keep it with you at all times. In fact, keep it right next to your ID card."

"OH! I get it!" Callie nodded her head with a look of understanding. "If we leave a note with him, then our future selves will find it at the dig site!"

"That's the idea. Now, we wait." The group sat in silence, likely expecting the squid sisters to just disappear, but no such change happened. Around 10 minutes passed before Marie spoke up again. "Drake, are you sure you understand what I'm trying to do?"

"I got the damn thing in my wallet, next to the ID card. Are you sure that your future selves will even find it?"

"Wait, what exactly did you write on that?" Shara asked.

"I just wrote to not go to Octovalley that day, no matter what! That should be easy enough to understand."

"Marie, that won't work," Callie cut in. "You know we would never do that. Besides, the other agents would still go, and... Gramps would still..."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Marie yelled, which made most of the group jump. "He's alive! Gramps wouldn't go down that easy!"

W-well, even still, I don't-"

"It wouldn't matter, anyway," Manfred said.

"What do you mean, dad?"

"Time manipulation was already a highly contested subject. Putting aside that physics say it's impossible, there are several theories that would make this type of thing futile."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what kind of theories?" Brandon asked.

"For instance, the multi-verse theory. That each decision you make, creates an alternate reality that a different version of you lives out. So by leaving those notes, only a different version of the squid girls would be affected, while they remain here. Then there's paradoxes. For example, if they followed that note and didn't go to Octovalley, that would mean that they would never travel to the past, and nobody would give that note to Drake, which means-"

"Okay, okay! I think we get it!" Brandon interrupted. "I think we lost Callie, as it is." He pointed to the other side of the table. Callie's look of understanding, had changed to an expression that was completely blank. She even had a little bit of drool streaming down the side of her mouth.

"Oh, she can be so cute!" Hannah said, and took a quick picture with her phone.

"Wh-WHA! Don't take a picture of that!" Callie yelled, as her eyes came back into focus.

"It was a selfish plan anyway," Kelly said, which broke up the scuffle.

"And I suppose you have a better one?" Marie snapped back.

"I do. We stay in the human's time, and stop trying to selfishly change history. As much as I would like to go back and bury my knife in Octavio, we could end up doing more damage than good. What if we end up with an even worse future?"

"Easy for you to say! You're side has the advantage with that sneak attack!" Shara growled.

"I-I have an idea..."

"There is another option," Manfred said. "Now that I know the main project is doomed, I can put all my efforts into finishing the cryopods ahead of schedule. Then, they can sleep with us, and we'll set their pods to unfreeze in... wait, how long did you say humans were extinct?"

"E-excuse me...

"Uh, uh, t-twelve thousand years ago, in our time," Shara said.

"Oh, wow. I, uh, don't know if the pods can last that long."

"HEY, LISTEN TO ME!" Callie yelled. Startled, everyone immediately turned to face her.

"W-what is it, Callie?" Marie asked.

"What if we... stop the humans from going extinct?"

"Callie... are you.. serious? How would we even do that?"

"You said pollution caused the ocean to rise, right? Well, what if we get them to clean up their act? If the ocean level's don't rise, then we won't have to go to war with the Octarians, either!"

"Actually, paradoxes might not apply to an event of that magnitude," Manfred said, as he held his chin with his left hand. "It might be possible if we found a way, but-"

"So-so we can do it?"

"I'm afraid there are two serious flaws with that plan," Manfred responded, and Callie looked dejected. "First, to even have a slight chance of that, we would need the resources of the project to pull that off. Second, and I didn't want to say this, but we found something in your DNA that was... well it was man made. There's a very large chance that your species came into existence because of the pollution."

"Wait, hold on a sec, professor." Brandon raised his hand to get Manfred to stop. "Are you saying that they came into existence because we wrecked the planet?"

"There's no other way to explain what I found in their system. While I can't say it's a fact, it seems our demise lead to their existence."

"So this mean that- N-NO!" Kelly yelled, and jumped up. "YOU'LL WIPE US OUT! BOTH MY PEOPLE AND THEIRS WILL CEASE TO EXIST!"

"I agree with four tentacles," Shara said. "I would rather have this war play out, than let that happen!"

"Well," Brandon cut in to try to break up the fight. "Option A: sit here and wait for the world to end. Option B: Try to rush the cryopod development, and hope it doesn't kill us anyway. Or option C: Trade their race for ours. Either way, someone is going to get screwed."

"It will be another month before I return to the facility. We can use that time to come to a decision. Who knows, maybe a new path will open itself to us," Manfred said.

"I don't know how you can stay optimistic," Drake said, shaking his head.

"Says the cynic," Hannah responded.

"Says the person who doesn't have to deal with the next headache I'm going to get today."

"What are you- oh... right." Brandon looked up, and fixed his glasses. "You're seriously going to go through with this? I mean, I'm curious about meeting Tak too, but..."

"Can't really leave him hanging at the airport, and it's about time I leave." Drake stood up. He stopped, then looked back. "Hey, Callie. Want to come with me?"

…

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

"Lord Octavio, the Octoburg kettles are in sight!" Colonel Kumi said from the pilot's chair. Octavio's flying flag ship, the Leviathan, was rapidly approaching Octopus rock on the far side of Octovalley. On the ground, a number of armored vans were following the fleet of airships towards the Octarian capital.

"And it looks like the wimp is giving us a welcoming committee," Octavio responded from his chair. On the far side of Octopus rock, the camouflaged hanger doors had opened, and a large number of Guardian Corps airships were rapidly deploying from the docks. On the ground, Octolings loyal to the emperor were emerging from the kettles.

"Sir! Incoming transmission from the capital building!"

"I'll bet you it's king hipster himself. Put in on screen!" On the main communication screen, the image of Emperor Octurus was displayed. "I hope you're calling me to surrender. Wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious fanboy army." Octavio gave Octurus a rather smug look.

"Has your thirst for revenge and desire for power really driven you to attack your own homeland?" The emperor answered. "I let you carry out your plans because I thought the Inklings betrayed my good will, but I never gave you permission to go THIS far!"

"Well, if yah ain't gonna surrender, I got no use for you. But I would call off your dogfish, unless you want something to happen to your little ink squirt son." At that moment, another signal was patched in.

"Who the hell is interrupting- Commander Ophelia, explain your- OCTARIAS!" Octurus went wide eyed when the feed from the new signal went on screen. Ophelia was holding the emperors son in a choke hold, and she had a knife pressed to his neck. Octarias' twin body guards were trying to talk her down.

"Careful, now. Wouldn't want to get the golden child's royal ink on my floor," Ophelia said with a sneer.

"OCTAVIO! IF SHE EVEN-"

"Then perhaps you might want to reconsider surrendering. I'm not usually one for second chances, yah know. Come on, I won't tell anybody." Octavio wore a triumphant look, while Octurus looked down in silence. Then, a warning indicator appeared on Kumi's console.

"Sir! Five Airships are approaching on our rear, and a number of new transports are following on the ground!"

"WHAT!" Octavio boomed. "WHO THE HELL IS-" Just then, another incoming call was received, and a new face was broadcast on the com screen.

"Sir, this is Captain Karumi. The Calamari detachment stands ready to join formation."

"Captain Karumi, explain why you are away from your assignment," Kumi demanded with an irritated expression.

"Never mind that!" Octavio said, as he regained his smug look. "They came for the glory of my final victory! Let them enjoy the moment!" As soon as he finished giving the order, the 5 airships joined behind Octavio's fleet, and the new arrivals on the ground pulled up behind the mariner vehicles that were already in place. "Well, your answer, hipster king?"

"I refuse. Perhaps you should be the one to bow down." Just then, the Leviathan was hit by a blast from a killer wail to the rear, and several rounds from ink cannons.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Octavio yelled, who had been knocked off of his chair.

"L-lord Octavio! The Calamari detachment is attacking us! That blast came from Karumi's ship!"

"THOSE DIRTY INK STAINS! ALL SHIPS, DEFENSIVE FORMATION, AND RETURN FIRE!" Octavio yelled louder than anyone thought possible. Kumi turned her attention back to the com screen.

"Ophelia, execute the pr-" Before she could finish, Octarias delivered a headbutt to Ophelia, and knocked her back. As her grip loosened, he elbowed her in the jaw, punched her in the gut, then dropped her with a kick to the legs. Before Ophelia even hit the floor, Octarias's body guards finished her off with their tampered weapons.

"Looks like you forgot that you were dealing with a commando, not just the emperor's son," Octarias said with a satisfied look.

"The Guardian Corps is moving to attack us!" Another elite said.

"Had this all planned out, did you, chess master?" Said Octavio, as he regained his composure. "You want a piece of, me, then you come here and get it!" The Mariner fleet moved in to engage the emperor's ships. Almost immediately, two loyalist craft were shot down with multiple wail blasts.

"Sir! The ground forces... they... they brought the Inklings with them!"

"How far will you cowards sink! That's it, destroy them all!" On the ground, the Inklings that had regrouped at Calamari County, were pouring out of the transports, along with the Mariner ground forces that had sided with Karumi. The Mariners loyal to Octavio stood little chance, as they were stuck between the Guardian Corps, and the Calamari detachment.

"Ma'am, the smaller ships are blocking the Leviathan. Our shots aren't getting through," Olivia said, as another Mariner ship went down. Karumi watched the Leviathan's rear guard exchange fire with her wing men, until she noticed that one of the ships near the Leviathan's engines had taken damage from a recent ink missile.

"There! Osami, tell our wing men to target that damaged ship," Karumi responded.

"But ma'am! They will just move another ship in to cover their week spot!"

"I know! That's why we are going to hold our fire until right when that ship goes down. Otoha! Lock onto the Leviathan's engine core! Osami! Give the order!"

"Yes ma'am!" As soon as Osami delivered the message, the other ships on their flank, concentrated several wail blast on the damaged airship. It didn't take long for it to go down in flames.

"NOW! UNLOAD ON THAT BASTARD!" Karumi yelled. Otoha pounded her console, and a volley of ink cannon rounds and a blast from their own wail, hit the Leviathan's engines.

"Ma'am! They're starting to lose altitude! We got them!" Otoha said proudly.

"Hold on! They... they're turning on us!" Olivia yelled.

"GRRR! You ink stains will pay for that!" Octavio yelled in his chair. "Get our weapons locked on to them before we fall out of range!"

"Y-yes sir!" Kumi responded. She hit her own panel, and the Leviathan's dual wail emitters locked on.

"If I go down, I'm taking that traitor with me! FIRE!" Octavio screamed. A second later, the two blasts hit Karumi's airship.

"Direct hit, sir! They're going down!"

"Damn right, they are! All hands, brace for impact, and prepare to repel boarders! If I see any of you hipsters try to abandon ship, I'll splat you myself!"

…

Earth 2015 A.D.

The next morning, Callie found herself being awoken by several muffled bangs coming from outside the house. She looked around the room, and saw that Marie was still asleep on the other side of the bed. Next to the bed, Shara was snoozing on one of the air mattresses that the humans had prepared for the two newcomers. The Octoling already seemed to be awake, as she was not in the room. Pulling herself out of her own bed, she went over to the window to pinpoint the source of the noise. Outside the window, she saw Drake firing shots with one of the human weapons they had seen in his gun cabinet.

"What is he doing out there?" Callie wondered, as he watched him fire another shot. "Wait, does this mean we are under attack!?" She quickly ran down stairs, and passed Kelly, who was doing stretches and other exercises in the living room.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, squid?" Kelly asked, as she continued her daily training.

"No time to talk! Drake's in trouble!"

"Trouble? What are you talking about? He's only-" Kelly was unable to finish her sentence, as Callie opened the back door, and slammed it behind her. "Shooting at targets... Honestly, these squids are so undisciplined."

Outside, Callie quickly rushed to where Drake was shooting. "DRAAAAKKKEEE!" She yelled, and came to a skidding halt next to him. "W-what's going on? Who's attacking us? Is it the Octarians?"

"Whoa! Callie? Slow down there. I'm fine, and no one is attacking us, see?" Drake pointed to where he was shooting. Several paper targets were lined up at various distances. "You've done target practice before, right?"

Callie looked downrange, and saw that he was right. There were no Octarians or any other threats around. Immediately, she went red in the face, and looked away in embarrassment. "O-oh... Sorry, Drake. I just saw you from the upstairs window.. and-"

"It's quite alright. I appreciate the concern," Drake responded with a slight smile. "I've been neglecting practice since you guys arrived, so I'm trying to get the rust out."

"Practice? Y-you aren't going off to war, are you?"

"No, nothing like that." Drake made a light chuckle, then his face went rather pensive. "Before I found out that the world was going to end soon, I decided I wanted to try to be a professional competitive shooter. It's really the only thing I'm good at. My sister had all the brains and talent that my father does. I, unfortunately, take after my useless mother."

"Competitive shooter? So you wanted to be the human version of a turf war player?"

"Well, we don't shoot at each other, or cover the ground, if I understood what you told me about turf wars right," Drake responded. "But competitive shooting is a sport, like your turf wars."

"Oh, cool! I bet you would be the freshest ever!" Callie paused for a moment, then realized what was off about what Drake had said. "Wait, you have a sister?" Drake didn't respond, and went silent. Worried that she had offended him, she started fidgeting, until he finally turned back to her.

"Hey, since you're out here, want to give it a try?

"Huh?" Callie looked at him in confusion.

"Shooting, I mean."

"Really? Can I?" Callie's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Well, I think a 30.06 rifle is a little big for you, so wait here while I get something more closer to your size." A few minutes later, Drake returned to the makeshift target range with a smaller hand gun. He then handed the pistol to Callie. "Try this one. A .22 target pistol is one of the easiest to start with. It fires one of the smallest bullets there is, so recoil shouldn't be an issue."

After being showed how to use the weapon, Callie took aim at the mid range target, and pulled the trigger. The gun discharged its shot, and Callie jumped a bit. "Wowie! This thing is a lot scarier than our ink shooters!"

"Yeah, but you missed the target. Looks like the shot went wild, too," Drake responded.

"Drat! Even if our ink shooters worked this way, I'm used to rollers!"

"Uh, rollers?" Drake looked at her in confusion.

"It's a close range weapon that I swing at other players. I'm pretty good, yah know?" Callie made several swinging motions as she said this.

"So, then like a battle ax? Wait, is that why you made that pose when we brought the Octoling home with us?" Drake had a wide grin on his face when he made that last statement.

"OH! Why'd you have to bring that up again!" Callie responded while sticking her tongue out at him.

"Anyway, try using the sights this time, and aim for the closer target." Callie raised the gun again, and fired another round. "You hit the target itself, but missed the silhouette. Your aim isn't steady. Here, try it like this." Drake moved behind her and supported her arms, while helping her adjust her aim. "You'll want to keep both the front and back sights lined up, and keep your eye centered."

"Y-yeah, okay," Callie responded. Though, she was having trouble concentrating because of how close Drake was. "L-like this?"

"Yeah, that looks good. Keep it steady, and squeeze the trigger." Doing as she was told, Callie pulled the trigger for the third time. "Better. You got a hit on the center mass. See? That wasn't so hard."

"So this is what Marie has to deal with, huh? I guess I don't give her enough credit."

"Wait, Marie shoots?" Drake gave her a confused look.

"Marie uses a weapon called the charger. It's the longest range weapon we have, and it looks a lot like the weapon you were shooting earlier."

"Then she's a sniper?"

"Yeah! That's a charger in a nut shell! Drake, I wish I could show you our weapons. I think you and Sheldon would get along great. He's our resident weapons expert."

"I would be interested to see how your ink shooters work. Though, maybe we should get Marie out here too."

"W-well n-, I mean, I don't think you would even be able to get her out of bed yet. Most Inklings are late risers. Except for me." Callie stuttered a bit, then turned back to the target range.

"Maybe next time then. Anyway, go for the mid range target this time." For the next 10 minutes, Callie put out rounds on the mid range and long range targets. Initially she had trouble adjusting for the range difference, but with Drakes guidance, was able to score more hits than misses towards the end. "Not bad, Callie. Not bad at all. With a little work, I would even consider letting you cover my ass in a fire fight."

"Wha? Cover your- WHA!?"

"It's just an expression, Callie," Drake said, as he took the pistol back. "It means that I would be okay with you watching my back if we got into a real battle."

"O-oh! Oh, right. Silly me," Callie said with an awkward laugh. "H-hey, can I try the big one next?" She pointed to where Drake had set the rifle.

"Um, I don't... Are you sure? That thing is going to be a lot harder to adjust to than a little .22."

"Aww, come on. I want to learn more about you and your hobbies. Pleeeasssseee?" Callie smiled her sweetest smile, and of course, Drake immediately caved in.

"W-well, alright. But be careful with this one. This is going to kick a hell of a lot more than the .22 pistol." Drake loaded another magazine into the rifle, then handed it to Callie. He then went behind her again. "You'll want to put your left hand under the barrel, here, and have the stock firmly against your shoulder. Other than that, same principal as the handgun. I'll try to help with the recoil."

"Okay, I can do this!" Callie took aim at the long range target, and squeezed off a shot. The rifle kicked, Callie yelped in surprise, and she was pushed backwards. Drake tried to catch her, but he didn't expect her to be pushed back that hard. His feet slipped out from under him, and they both tumbled backwards.

"Ack, that smarts! You okay there, Callie?" Drake said, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I think so-ah!" Callie stopped mid sentence, as she turned her head back and noticed that she was lying on his chest. "S-sorry, I'll get up in a sec." Callie tried to turn herself around and stand back up at the same time, but her foot slipped, and she tumbled right back down.

"Look out!" Drake shouted, and managed to catch her in his arms, just before she landed on him again.

"Ah- uh- uh-" Callie started stuttering. Their faces were less than a foot away from each other, and both Callie and Drake's faces went beat red. From Drake's perspective, He could see the sun beat down and illuminate her black and pink tentacles. Combined with her golden eyes, she looked absolutely radiant in the light. He could feel his heart rate rapidly start to accelerate. Neither of them dared make a move, until Callie spoke up again. "S-sorry, D-D-Drake."

"D-don't worry about it. I-I'm just glad you're okay." Silence ensued for several more moments.

"H-hey, Drake?"

"Yes, Callie?"

"What do you... t-think of Marie?"

"Where did that come from?"

"Just... tell me. You two have gotten along pretty well since that night." Callie looked Drake right in the eye, and he swallowed rather hardly.

"I think she's a lot kinder than she lets on. I can tell she's protective of her family and friends. Even if she isn't always honest with her emotions, I'm glad to have her as a friend."

"So, just friends then?" The Inkling's face drew a little closer to the human's, and both of their heart rates continued to climb. "Then, what do you think about... me?"

"W-well, Callie. I honestly think that you-"

"OH! LOOK AT THIS SCANDLE IN THE MAKING!" A voice from the side yelled. Both the Inkling and human jumped in surprise. Callie quickly jumped off Drake, and both climbed to their feet.

"Nothing happened, Takeshi. Quit yelling like an idiot!" Drake said.

"That didn't look like nothing to me! Out with it! You were-" Takeshi stopped talking when he saw Callie hide behind Drake. "W-why is she still afraid of me?"

"Maybe that's because the first thing you did was aggressively hit on her? I mean, I'm glad that you didn't freak out like Brandon did when you found out what she was, but you can't blame her. I'm surprised most women don't run from you."

"I said I was sorry for that, man! And besides, I only have eyes for Marie now!" Takeshi said with a 'I'm pumped' sort of look.

"Really, Takeshi? REALLY?!"

"Anyways, the cute Octo girl is calling for you two. Said they wanted to continue yesterdays discussion or something. Just what are you up to, dude?"

"Just tell Kelly that we'll be back in a minute," Drake responded. Takeshi started walking back to the house, and Drake turned back to Callie. "Sorry about him. So what were we talking about? Oh, right about-"

"No, it's okay. Let's save that for another time," Callie said, and Drake nodded.

"Well, if you want to head in first, I'll pick up the guns."

"Okay. Thanks for showing me how to use your weapons. I had a lot of fun today!" She said. Callie quickly changed to her squid form, and squid jumped back to the house. Takeshi was, understandably, freaked out when he saw her pass over him.

"I wonder if I should tell her that she got a bulls-eye on that last shot," Drake said, as he picked up the guns, and headed in.


	8. Chapter 8 – A Boy and His Squid

"This is getting us nowhere. Doesn't anyone have a new idea?" Hannah asked the group that surrounded the dining room table. "Those can't be the only three options we have."

"We've been at this for days," Kelly responded in a dismissive tone. "And as I keep saying, the best option is to let this play out. I refuse to allow anything that might put my people at risk!"

"But we don't know that saving the humans will cause our races to stop existing!" Callie responded. "There has to be a way to save everyone!"

"I wish there was, Callie. But that's really naive." Shara had a sad expression, but her resolve remained firm. "Which is why the best thing to do is to trust in those cryo things the professor was talking about. If we time it just right, we could show up at Octovalley, right as our past selves are hit with the rainmaker. That would really catch Octavio off guard."

"That's too risky!" Kelly retorted. "I would rather live out what time we have left, than trust a damn freezer!" Kelly turned her gaze away from the table, before muttering another comment. "I'll live out Otome's dream for her."

"None of those options are very enticing, are they?" Brandon said.

"THEN COME UP WITH A NEW IDEA!" Kelly shot back.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO?!"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT THE HELL UP!" Drake said, as he held his head.

"S-sorry, sir!" Kelly said, after jumping a little.

"What's this 'sir' crap? Didn't I already say that this 'elder race' isn't anything special?" Drake turned to where Marie was. "Hey, Marie. You haven't said much. Any ideas?"

"Oh, I-I.. I was just think about Callie said," Marie responded while in deep thought. "Do we know for sure that your pollution created us? Just how different are the squids and octopus in your time?"

"Oh, uh. You'd be surprised," Brandon said. "Only your.. other form comes even slightly close."

"Dude's right. I only wish they were as cute as you were," Takeshi chimed in with a flirtatious look.

"Ignoring him," Marie continued, to Takeshi's disappointment. "I would really like to see them for myself."

"Well, I can pull up a few pictures for you," Drake responded. "But I do wish we could come up with something less risky. We really need a refresher around here. Or a vacation."

"Well, maybe there's a way we can have both," Hannah cut in.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We all need a break, and Marie wants to see how the marine life is in our time. Now, how would we do that?"

"I'm not sure I- wait, you don't mean.."

"The aquarium," Brandon finished for Drake. "Hannah, have you lost your mind? They'll stand out even more than they already do at a place like that."

"Not if we get them some better hats, and stuff their tentacles down the back of their shirts. You know, like what Drake did when he took Callie to the airport. As for their eye marks, we just get them all sun glasses."

"Hannah that... that might actually not be a bad idea."

"Drake, is the heat getting to you? We're practically begging for the military to catch them again!" Brandon added.

"If we head out after lunch, we could beat the crowd. There shouldn't be too many people there on a weekday, anyway." Drake looked towards their Oceanic companions. "So, what do you all think about doing a little sightseeing?"

"HECK YEAH! I WANNA GO!" Callie yelled.

"Before we decide on that, what exactly is an aquarium?" Shara asked.

"It's sorta like a zoo, but for marine life. They have all kinds of fish, marine mammals, and other ocean life. Including squids and octopus."

"Wait, what? Drake, you'd better be telling the truth about squids in your time, because if I find out-"

"Don't worry, Shara. We aren't caging your people." After they all had their lunch, everyone split up to get ready for their little excursion. The squids and Octopus went with Hannah to get their new disguises ready. Hiding Kelly's tentacles proved to be a real challenge, but they settled on having them tied down with a hair net, then covering them with a hoodie. Getting everyone to the aquarium in one car was also a hurdle. With Drake driving, the other three humans occupied the front and back side seats, while the Oceanics were all in the middle seat, and in their basic form.

"Watch it, Shara!"

"Get your tentacle out of my face!"

"Hannah! Drake! Someone help me!"

"Wow, Kelly, you stink! Do you shower when you are done with your work out?"

"Okay, pipe down. We're here," Hannah said, as Drake pulled into the aquarium's parking lot. After the humans got out, the girls shifted forms, and hopped out of the car.

"Holy fish! This place is huge!" Callie said, as she gazed at the aquarium. The excitement on her face was quite palpable, and Hannah giggled a bit.

"I'll say. All this just for squids and octopus?" Marie asked.

"Trust me, that's not all they have in there," Brandon responded. "Some of those 'fish' can be quite large."

"Hardly any people here today. That's good for us," Drake said. He started heading for the ticket stand. "Everybody got their hats and glasses? Good. Keep them on until we get inside. I'll go pay the entree fee."

"I think we should split into groups of two," Hannah said when Drake was out of earshot.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Brandon responded.

"Well, for one, the girls will be a lot less conspicuous if they don't stick together, and we have enough people to do a perfect 4 way split of one Oceanic, to one human." Hannah then turned to where Drake was paying the fee. Callie was watching him, and had her back turned on the group. "Besides, I think it will be good for him. Especially if we put a certain squid with him."

"Oh, I get it. Devious, Hannah. Real devious. You know he's going to be pissed when he finds out you set him up."

"Who cares about that!? Besides, it's for their own good. BOTH of them. Now, who's going with who?"

"I'm going with Marie!" Takeshi immediately said.

"Yeah, not happening," Marie responded with her usual smirk. "I'm going with, what did you call him? TheVoiceofReason?"

"I-it's Brandon, and I would be happy to!"

"Oh, brother. You and Drake are such dorks when it comes to this. In that case, I'll take the orange cutie! We haven't really had a chance to talk much," Hannah said, and offered her hand to Shara.

"I have a name, you know! Cute, huh.. yeah right. Even that blue jerk isn't allowed to say that."

"Which leaves me with," Kelly turned towards Takeshi. "The player."

"Hey, no need to be mean! I'll happily-"

"Keep in mind that I don't go anywhere with out a little protection." Kelly quickly pulled her knife out of nowhere, and flashed it. Then, just as suddenly, put it back in her hiding spot.

"Escort you, my lady!" Takeshi made a low bow. "But danger or not, a date's a date!"

"Just don't flash that in public," Hannah responded. Then she turned to Callie, who wasn't really paying attention. "Okay, Callie. You and Drake have fun."

"Whawha? Wait, where you going?" Callie asked. Hannah pretended to ignore her, and ran to Drake to collect the tickets. She quickly passed them out to the rest of the group, and they split up to head inside.

"Where are they going in such a hurry?" Drake asked, as he made his way to where Callie was standing.

"T-they said that we should pair up, and that I should go with you," Callie responded. "N-not that I have a problem with that, of course."

"I wonder why they all rushed ahead? Well, shall we?" Callie followed Drake into the aquarium's main building. "You can take your glasses off, if you want. looks like we're the only people here right now." Callie removed the glasses, and looked around. Even just in the entrance hall, she was awe struck with all the displays of marine life. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, as she glanced around at the various exhibits.

"Woooooooowwww! These all live under the water?"

"You didn't know?" Drake responded with a surprised look. "Did all of the marine life in your time evolve like you did?"

"W-well, not all of them. Besides those that became land walkers, like us, there are the fish we catch for food. Oh, and the salmon. Those can be a real pest."

"I honestly can't see how a salmon could be a pest," Drake responded with a small laugh. "Unless you count the smell when you cook them. A lot of people like eating salmon, but I'm more of a bass guy." The two started walking around the various displays. After passing some of the basic fish species, a large, but thin tank caught Callie's eye.

"What is this?" She leaned in closer to the tank. "This kinda looks like... Annie's tentacles. And that's... Moe?"

"That's called a sea Anemone. The one hiding in it, is called a Clown Fish. Normally the anemone will eat anything that wanders too close, but it won't bother the clown fish. Don't ask why."

"Wow, this is pretty cool!" Callie curiously observed to two aquatic creatures, then turned back to Drake. "That's totally Annie and Moe!"

"What are they like? Do they look like the Inklings?"

"Sort of? Annie has a similar form, but her eyes doesn't have the masks that we do. her tentacles are also small, and there are a lot of them. Kinda like your hair, actually. Those two own the hat shop, and I think you would like them. Well, Annie, that is. Moe is... a real jerk."

"He must be, for you to say that," Drake said, and they both laughed a bit. "But you mentioned the lack of black eye marks. Is that something that's unique to Inklings?"

"Y-yeah. Most Oceanics have a mark of some kind. Like how the Octolings have a purple ring around each eye. W-we probably look a bit silly to you, though..."

"I wouldn't say that." Drake looked Callie right in the eye. "I think both your eyes and your marks are very charming." Callie went deep red, and looked down.

"I- uh... thank you, Drake. I'm glad that you don't see us as.. freaks."

"Uh, anyway, why don't we go over there. This next one is one of my favorites." Drake lead Callie to another tank. Inside, there were a number of small and simple creatures floating about.

"Oh! OH! Porim gami! Jelly fish!" The excited Callie squealed. "Wow, they look so different. I wonder if Jelonzo's super great grandpa is in there."

"You did mention something about jelly fish before. I'm having a hard time picturing that walking around on land."

"They are a little different than us, but there are jellies in Inkopolis. I had no idea they once lived like this."

"There are pretty neat, aren't they? It's really relaxing to watch them." The two continued to watch the jelly fish swim about. "Let's hit the tunnel tank, next." Drake lead Callie to the large walk in tunnel, that was surrounded by one large tank. Callie watched the larger fish swim around her, until something in particular caught her eye.

"WHA! LAND SHARK!" Callie yelled, and latched on to Drake's arm.

"Whoa! No need to be scared, Callie. It can't hurt you in here. Wait, did you say land shark?"

"Y-yeah. They walk on four legs, and are super aggressive! They'll eat anything! Jellyfish, Inklings, Octarians. Maybe even humans!"

"That's crazy! And here I thought I would be done being surprised by-" Drake looked down, and noticed that Callie was clinging to his arm. His heart rate accelerated. "W-well, let's go somewhere else." As soon as they exited the tunnel, Callie calmed down. Though, then she also noticed what she was doing.

"S-sorry, Drake," she said, and released his arm.

"Don't worry, it's alright." They both stood in an awkward silence. Neither of them were sure what to say, but suddenly, Drake felt Callie's hand brush against his. He didn't respond to it at first, but then he felt her hand again. Swallowing his conflicted emotions, he reached out and took her hand. Callie jumped a little, and immediately went deep red again. Accepting the gesture, she let Drake lead her to another tank that was larger than any other.

"W-what's in here?" Callie asked, as she peered into what she thought was an empty tank. About a minute passed, then something vary large moved to the front of the tank, and Callie's eyes went wide. "W-wha-what!? The Great Zapfish!" she yelled, and pointed.

"Zapfish? You'll have to explain that later, but what you're looking at, is called a whale. You don't have whales in your time?" Drake asked, and Callie shook her head.

"The only whale I know about, is the killer wail."

"Well, the orcas are in another tank. Though, I think your killer whale is different than ours. But that one is called the humpback."

"Wow, this thing is really amazing! I-is it dangerous?"

"To a human, no. I don't know about Inklings, but you're safe in here." Drake took her hand again to reassure her. "Though I'm sure it wouldn't bother you, as long as it doesn't see your other form. Speaking of which." He lead her to another set of tanks on the opposite side of the hall. Callie approached the tank with an expression of awe and wonder. "This is what we came here for. The squids are in that tank, and the octopi in the next one over."

"Wow! These were.. us?! This is what we came from?" Callie watched in amazement, as the little cephalopods swam around in the tank, while using their tentacles to propel themselves. After a few minutes, Drake noticed that Callie's own tentacles were moving in the back of her shirt. Eventually, the lower parts fell through the bottom. They started moving up and down to the side, like she was mimicking the movement of the squids in the tank. Drake couldn't help but to think it was cute beyond belief.

"H-hey, there's a bench over there. Let's sit down, since I think we might be here for a while."

"Y-yeah." Callie took his hand again, and the two sat down to watch the squids and octopi swim. After a while, Callie turned her attention back to Drake. "D-do you remember what we were talking about? I mean, when we.."

"Yeah, I remember that quite clearly," Drake responded. "Having you and Marie here, has helped me in more ways than you know. Ever since..." Drake stopped talking for a moment, as Callie waited in anticipation. "What I'm trying to say, is that... I... really like you. I'm glad we got to know each other." Callie slowly leaned towards him.

"A-and you're really okay with us? With me? I mean, we came from.. them. And you're.." Callie stopped when Drake shook his head.

"The common theory is that we came from monkeys. Not that I really believe it. But regardless, what ever you originated from, I think you are so much more than a mere squid." The two leaned closer. "In fact, you're a better person than any human I know."

"W-w-what about H-Hannah?"

"She... and I, have been friends for a long time. I had feelings for her, but how things are between us.. I doubt that would ever change."

"I.." This was all Callie had to hear, and their faces finally met. The two locked lips for several second, then separated. "Wowie! That was quite a rush," Callie said, her face couldn't have been more red.

"R-right? Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. This is.. not something I have experience with," Drake responded, who was also red.

"Wha? No way, really? Me too! S-so that means-"

"A human and an Inkling idol, took each other's first kiss." The two leaned in, and shared another deep kiss while embracing. As they separated again, they heard a sound from behind the corner of the Cephalopod exhibit. Startled, they turned towards the noise.

"W-what was that?" Callie asked.

"I think I know," Drake responded. "Alright, you peeping Toms. Come on out of there." As soon as he said this, the figures of the other six members of their group emerged from the shadows.

"WHAAAAAAAA!? What the heck, Marie!" Callie yelled, and covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh, don't act like you haven't done the same thing," Marie said with a very amused smirk. "And besides, I have the excuse of being worried about my cousin. I can't say the same for them."

"Hannah.." Drake said, as he stood up. "Did you set us up?"

"Gee, look at the time. Isn't this when the place starts getting busy? I think we should get going." As soon as she said this, the six onlookers quickly ran off towards the exit, but not before Takeshi yelled "lucky bastard!".

"Sorry about that. I think Hannah was trying to pay me back for all the times I helped her with relationships," Drake said with a sigh.

"I-It's fine. I should be the one saying sorry." She looked back up at him. "I.. really wasn't myself today. I'm supposed to be the cheery happy-go-lucky. Yet here I am. Nervous as can be... and I kinda rushed in with out thinking."

"Don't be. I got to see a new side of you. It's okay to be nervous, and you don't have to hide it."

"S-so does this mean.. w-we're going.. you know, out?"

"That's up to you," Drake stuck his hand out. Callie beamed a smile, and took it as he pulled her up.

"Heck yeah! This is going to be so fresh!" She linked her arm around his, and the two headed for the exit. Not caring what questions the rest of the group would have in store for them.

...

The next day, the group was sitting around the same table, having the same argument. "You saw how are ancestors are," Kelly said, as the argument continued. "I don't see how we could have undergone such a rapid change with out help from the human's pollution. This is why we have to intervene as little as possible!"

"I have to agree," Shara added. "Even our basic forms are too different from what we saw at the aquarium. I still say we take our chances with the professor."

"Those two get along so well when they actually agree on something," Marie muttered.

"Well, agent 2, what do you think we should do? You haven't really committed to any option," Shara responded. Marie looked around at the other humans, then at her fellow Oceanics, then at her cousin.

"I stand with Callie. I think we should risk trying to help the humans." This surprised everyone at the table, except for Callie, who pumped her fist while saying "yes!".

"So, we have two that think we should take our chances, and two that want to try to avoid the upcoming polar meltdown. What do you think?" Manfred asked, as he observed the meeting.

"I'm with the squid sisters," Hannah said. "We still don't know for sure if we will trading our race for theirs."

"I'm also with them. I'm sure there is a way we can have both," Brandon added.

"Forget that! I don't want to let those cute girls sacrifice themselves! I also say we take our chances!" Takeshi said.

"I guess we're still split," Drake said, as he stood up. "But I think I know how we can end the stalemate."

"What? How?" Hannah asked.

"Well, I need to get back to work. I'll be leaving for the facility in a few days, so let me know what you decide before I go." Manfred got up, and went back down to the lab.

"So what's the idea, Drake?" Brandon asked.

"Do you two still have those paintball guns? I still have mine, so if we add yours-"

"Wait, you don't mean-"

"That's exactly what I mean. How long have we been arguing about this? If we can't come to an agreement, this is the next best thing. Unless you want to settle it with a kart racing match."

"NO!" Marie yelled. "I don't know what this paintball is, but we are not playing that kart crap again!"

"Actually, it should be right up your alley. Think of it like one of your turf wars, but with out the ground covering part."

"Good. It's been too long since we scratched that itch, and I miss my charger. Now, Callie on the other hand, might have a bit of trouble with the gun part," Marie turned to her cousin, and had a grin on her face.

"You hush, Marie! Thanks to my boyfriend, I can shoot just fine now!" Callie responded and latched on to Drake.

"And you say I show off," Marie responded, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Okay, okay. Enough," Drake said. "Why don't you two go pick up your guns, and meet us at the field in about an hour."

After picking up his paintball gear, Drake drove Takeshi and the girls to the paintball lot. Hannah and Brandon were already there when they arrived. After unpacking the gear, Drake passed out guns and masks to Takeshi and the 4 Oceanics.

"These look a lot like one of our own turf masks," Shara said, as she put on her face mask. "Though this was never one of my favorites. Gull sure liked it, though..."

"Well, trust me. You are going to want to wear that. I don't know about your turf war things, but paint balls sting when they hit you. You do not want to take one in the face," Brandon said.

"There are some targets over there. Let's get some practice in before we start playing," Hannah said. After filling the guns with paint balls and gas, they spent a few minutes shooting at the various targets that had been set up for gun calibration. It didn't take long for the squids and Octoling to get the hang of the weapons. "Wow, Drake was right. You guys are right at home."

"Then let's split into teams. Everyone who wants to stay here, or risk the cryo pods, go on the right side. Those that want to try to change the future, go to the left," Drake said. The squids sisters instantly went left, while Shara and Kelly went right.

"Drake, you're coming with us, right?" Callie asked with pleading eyes.

"Sorry, Callie, not this time," he responded, and went over to where Shara and Kelly were.

"Whaaaattt!? Why?"

"Even if it isn't a sure thing, I don't want you to sacrifice yourselves for us. I can't lose anyone else I care about... Not again."

"This is no time to be getting sappy, Drake," Hannah said, and went over to the squid sisters. "Don't expect us to go easy on you. Get over here, Brandon." Doing as he was told, he joined up with Hannah. "Takeshi, where do you stand?"

"With Drake, of course." He went over to the right. "No way am I going to put them in danger."

Drake walked over to the center of the field, and placed a flag in a cone. "To win this game, you either have to eliminate the other team, or take this flag back to your base. We'll go best two out of three. Oh, and one direct hit means you are out."

"Ho ho, sounds like reverse rainmaker. Callie's favorite," Marie said, as the group split up to their respective bases. Once Hannah yelled that they were ready, Drake blew a whistle, and both teams started moving out. Drake moved to the right, and took cover in some of the defensive obstacles that overlooked the flag post. Almost immediately, Takeshi made a blind dash towards the flag. As soon as he grabbed it and turned his back, he was hit in the back side by Callie. Then again. Then several more times.

"OW! HIT! OWOWOW! HIT!" Takeshi kept yelling, until a shot from Shara hit Callie in the mask.

"Time!" Drake yelled and ran to the center of the field. "Callie, you only need one good hit. Once someone is out, they're out."

"Ooopsi! Sorry about that!" Callie said with an awkward smile.

"You okay, Takeshi?" Drake asked.

"Yeah, but that's gonna leave a mark or two."

"Then sit down for a bit. You're out anyway." Drake quickly went back to his spot, and signaled time in. Shara, then shifted her colors to green, and tried to sneak over the field to the flag. While that worked on the humans, Marie wasn't so easily fooled. Before she even reached the flag, Marie pegged Shara in one of her tentacles. She yelped, then changed forms and ran back to her base.

"Marie isn't making this easy," Kelly said, as she ran to where Drake was. "Did you see where she shot from?"

"Yeah, she's behind that log. I'm going to try to go around to the right."

"I got a better idea. Watch for the humans. I'm going to jump behind her."

"What are you-" With out letting him finish, Kelly changed forms, and jumped high in the air, then came down behind where Marie was camping. While she had expected this, the lack of a turf war automap prevented Marie from guessing exactly where Kelly would land. She came down, and immediately pegged Marie in the chest. Brandon, who was too stunned to do anything, was hit by a shot from Drake at the same time.

"Only Hannah is left," Drake said, as he ran across the field. He first went for the flag, but then he saw Kelly take a hit from Hannah, and took cover behind a small wall on the opposing team's side. He waited several seconds, hoping Hannah would reveal her location. Then he heard her take several foots steps near the right corner. Immediately, he popped out, and shot towards Hannah, hitting her in the shoulder and several times in the arm.

"Ack! Once is enough, Drake!"

"Sorry, Hannah. Okay, first round goes to us," Drake said, and both teams prepared for the next round.

"Marie is going to be a real pain in the butt," Shara said. "I knew she was good at turf war, but I didn't expect her to adjust to this so well."

"Why don't we try rushing them? I'll bet they won't be expecting a frontal attack with Marie and Hannah taking pot shots," Takeshi said.

"Might be worth a try. If we lose, it will at least keep them from knowing what to expect in the final round," Drake responded, and the team started moving out. As Drake started to cross the center field, he saw Hannah stick her weapon out from behind a tree, and Drake had no choice but to run back to cover. Before he could make it, however, he took 2 hits to his back.

"Revenge!" He heard Hannah yell. "GO! GO! GO!" The opposite team seemed to have the same idea as them, and they immediately started charging across the field, say for Marie who was covering them. Shara and Takeshi made it back behind the walls, but Kelly was also shot in the back by Marie. As the other three charged towards the flag, Shara popped out, and managed to nail Hannah in the chest, but before she could get a shot off on Brandon, Marie hit her on the face mask. Takeshi, knowing he was the last line of defense, managed to stop Callie from taking the flag by hitting her in the shoulder, but then another shot from Marie ended the round.

"That's a triple for me!" Marie said with her smirk.

"Way to go, Marie!" Callie said, and high-fived her.

"Okay, round two goes to Callie's team," Drake said, and they returned to their base.

"Yeah, that worked out real well," Kelly said and scoffed at Takeshi.

"Hey! It was worth a try!"

"Okay, enough of that. Any one else have an idea?" Drake asked.

"Marie is definitely our biggest problem," Shara said. "We should concentrate on taking her out first before we move in. Callie seems more concerned with the flag, so we shouldn't have to worry about her right away."

"Sounds like a plan. If you and Kelly want to try to flank, I'll cover you. Takeshi, you keep an eye out for Hannah." The final round started, and they moved out to their positions. Since this was the breaking point, neither team made a move for quite a while. Eventually, Shara and Kelly got tired of waiting, and managed to spot Marie. Kelly ran to the side, while Shara tried squid jumping behind Marie. Unfortunately, Marie knew what to expect this time, and shot Kelly as she tried to circle around, then aimed up, and hit Shara in the air.

"Air shots don't count!" Shara yelled, as she came down on her butt.

"Don't be a sore loser, agent 4!" Marie, allowing herself to be distracted by the bickering, left herself open to a shot from Takeshi. "Dammit! Thanks, Shara, now I'm hit!"

"What was that about being a sore loser?!" The two quickly left for their bases.

"Two against three. Great," Drake muttered. "Takeshi, let's go right." The started cautiously crossing the field, but instead of heading to the flag, they moved to the far right side.

"Shit! Hannah and Brandon! By the wood pile!" Takeshi said, and the two jumped into a small trench.

"I saw you go over there, Drake! Let's just get this over with!" Brandon yelled. "I don't want anything to happen to their race either, but the whole damn world is at stake!"

"That's no excuse, and you know it!" Drake said, and returned fire.

"I know you love Callie, and I don't blame you. But think about her feelings! She's trying to save you! All of us! And what about Marie? What would Alice want?" Hannah yelled, after firing at Drake and missing.

"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" Drake yelled back. After raising up again, Drake clipped Brandon on the shoulder, then hit him again on the face mask. Takeshi used this to try to get around Hannah, but she followed his movements, and the two managed to trade hits. There were now only two players left.

"Just Callie, huh? Wait! Where-" Drake ran back to the center of the field, and saw that Callie had grabbed the flag in the confusion, and was running back to her base. Drake immediately started chasing after her. He started taking shots, but Callie was shifting to and from her squid form, and hopping around as she went. Unable to get a clean shot, Drake chased her to her base, but when he finally got a shot lined up, Callie planted the flag in the capture point.

"Well played. I guess we have a winner," Drake said and started walking in the other direction. "I'll tell father that we're going with your plan."

"Did... I.. upset him?" Callie asked with a concerned look.

"No, you didn't," Hannah said, and turned to her. "I might have said something I shouldn't have. And he's probably afraid of losing you."

"So.. then who is-"

"You will have to ask him yourself. All I can really say, is that Alice was someone that... well, she was like you in many ways." Hannah walked off, and Callie chased after Drake.

"Wait, Drake!" Callie said as she caught up to him. "I- I mean- I'm sor-"

"Don't apologize, Callie," Drake said, as he turned around. "You did what you felt was right. I still think this is too dangerous but," Drake sighed before continuing. "I just don't want anything to happen to you or Marie." Callie rushed him, and pulled him into a hug. A gesture that the human returned, and he rubbed the top of her tentacles.

"I'm really happy you care about us, Drake, but don't count us out yet!" Callie looked up at him. "We survived the great turf war, we survived Octavio, and we can survive this! So let's do it for real!"

"Yeah. If we're doing this, let's save both our races, Callie. Well, better gather up those stooges, and head home." Drake started to head in, but Callie stayed back.

"Drake... who is Alice?" Drake stopped but didn't look back.

"Alice is... Someone who... was important to me. I'm not ready to talk about that yet."

"But-"

"Another time, Callie. I promise." Drake turned, and held his hand out. "For now, let's just go home. I've got more games that I bet you haven't seen yet."

"Yup!" Callie smiled, and took his hand. The two walked back to their friends. For now, they were just happy to put all contention behind them.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Concrete Garden

**Author's notes: For those of you who have Splatoon Amino, (and for those that don't, it's a free mobile social media app dedicated to splatoon) be sure to check out the spin of story that asa is writing. It's called Sidelines, and takes place in both FoH, and the original LoH timeline. You can also find a drawing of Callie and Marie in their human outfits by SplatKraken.**

"You know, we never did say exactly HOW we were going to change our fate." Everyone was gathered around the dining room table, for what was now a daily meeting. The one who had spoken up, was Hannah, and everyone else had come to the same realization.

"Maybe we should do some fund raiser, or awareness program?" Drake suggested.

"But we don't have any real proof that any of what they say will actually happen. Not to mention that most people see the project as a waste of money, so they won't listen to us," Brandon responded.

"We have live proof right here!"

"What do you expect to do, Hannah? Parade them around? That will just make them a target."

"Heh, amateurs," Takeshi cut in, and everyone turned to him.

"I suppose you have something in mind? That can't be good," Brandon said with an eye roll.

"Actually, I do. You said they were performers, right?"

"Y-yes. Back in our time, we would sing and dance for splatfest," Callie said. It was still embarrassing for her to talk about it in front of the elder race. Though, both her and Marie wanted to show their friends what they could do, despite this.

"We also host the city news station, but as Callie said, our main gig is our pop shows," Marie chimed in.

"Pop idols. That couldn't be any more perfect."

"What are you getting at, Takeshi?" Drake asked, and gave him a puzzled glare.

"Allow me to school you on the art of Japanese pop culture," he responded, and pulled out his phone. Takeshi then pulled up a recent video of a live concert that had been a big hit in Japan the previous month. The group gathered around, and watched the performance. It didn't take them long to notice that something was off.

"What... are those weird costumes?" Drake asked.

"That's a pretty weird looking human," Kelly said. "Is there more than one type of elder race or something?"

"Oh! I know this! This is one of those vocaloid concerts, right?"

"Right you are, Hannah," Takeshi responded, and paused the video.

"What's a vooccaalllooidd?" Callie asked.

"Is that some sort of robot? Looks like something the Octarians would build," Shara said.

"Well, they are computer generated, but no. Take a closer look. The image you see on stage is actually a hologram." Takeshi resumed the video, and the holographic dancers started moving on the screen. "In other words, it's a projection of a computer generated image."

"Wow! We don't have anything like that in Inkopolis!" Callie said with an amazed look.

"I bet that would make both of your jobs easier. You wouldn't even have to show up at splatfest," Shara added, and both squids sisters laughed.

"That's very interesting and all, but I don't see what this has to do with- Wait! You're not-" Drake's eyes went wide when he realized what his Japanese friend was getting at.

"You bet your ass I am!" He responded with a big grin. "I can guarantee that those two would be huge in Japan! And after we hit them off there, then we can show them to the whole world."

"You're crazy! First off, how would we even get them started? Then, we would need money, travel plans, props.. Besides, did you forget that we are trying to keep them out of the government's sights?"

"You misunderstand. We present them like the vocaloids. Holographic squid girl concert!"

"That... that might actually be a decent idea. Holy shit, Takeshi!" Brandon said with a look of absolute shock.

"My uncle owns a concert hall. We can do a concert or two there, and see how that goes. Obviously, we can't constantly move them to different countries, so we will need a place to broadcast from."

"The Project facility," Drake said, and everyone turned to Manfred.

"It might be possible," Manfred responded. "But I can't risk bringing you right now. Once Drake, Hannah, Brandon and Takeshi make the move, we can try to sneak you in, and we can go from there. That will happen in the winter around January."

"Hold on, we still have a problem," Marie said, and got everyone's attention "We don't have our stage outfits, or the music itself. The clothes you found us in are only our field uniforms."

"Yeah! We won't be nearly as fresh with out those!" Callie added.

"Well, I hate to brag, but I know my way around a needle," Hannah said, and puffed out a bit. "If you give me an idea of what your outfits look like, I can make you one in no time!"

"So... maybe we can help recreate the music?" Shara asked. "I mean, we've kinda been dead weight since we got here, but I think we can help with something."

"Speak for yourself!" Kelly snapped. "I've been helping with the chores."

"Wait, hold on a sec!" Shara suddenly yelled. She quickly ran out of the room, leaving the others stunned at the sudden outburst. A few minutes later, she ran back in with a relieved expression. "Thank goodness I still have my phone." Shara tapped an icon on her squid phone, and one of the squid sisters songs started playing.

"Whoa! That's even more amazing than I thought it would be!" Takeshi said. His excitement was making him rather hyper. "I can ask uncle to get one of the bands to recreate that. Mark my words, you two are going to be big!"

"Okay, enough." Drake said to get their attention. "I guess we have a plan."

...

Earth 2019 O.S.C.

Karumi, her team, and several Inklings were stacking up on a door, in the massive Leviathan airship. After being shot down, they quickly abandoned their own ship, and made their way straight to the Leviathans wreckage. Their only objective now, was the elimination of Octavio.

"The bridge should be just through here," Karumi said, as her team finished preparing for entry.

"It's about damn time!" Said the light blue inkling next to her. "The sooner we put down that eight tentacle freak, the sooner I won't have to deal with the smell of Octopus."

"Frost! Will you stop trying to pick a fight already? We all want the same thing," Kirk said with a tone of irritation. "I don't like this either, but going after our allies is never a good idea."

"Well, maybe if they didn't KILL MY ENTIRE TEAM, I WOULDN'T BE SO IRRITABLE!" Frost shouted back. "Bass... Citra... Sandy... Levin..."

"I lost people too! And unlike you, I had to watch the squid sisters die right in front of-"

"If you two are done whining, I've set the manual override on the door," Osami cut in.

"You two need to stay focused. The fight is with Octavio. Osami, open the door."

"Right, Captain!" Osami pulled the override, and the door opened. The team of six entered the bridge, and were stunned at what they saw.

"There's.. no one here?" Otoha said. Apart from a few lifeless Octolings that had died in the crash, the bridge was completely empty. While there was a lot of damaged equipment lying around, no sign of Octavio, or the surviving command staff could bee seen.

"I thought you said he would be here?" Frost asked in a rather impatient tone. They looked around the room with their weapons raised, but failed to notice someone lurking above.

"He must have escaped to the cargo bay," Karumi responded. Let's head over there before-" Karumi suddenly felt something hit her in the upper back. She was knocked down, and her Octoshot went flying out of her hands. She tried to roll away from her assailant and reach for it, but her tentacles had been grabbed, and she was forced to stand back up.

"C-captain!" Otoha shouted. Karumi looked down, and saw a knife pressed against her neck.

"Back off traitors! Or I'll cut her open!" The assailant said.

"I'd recognize that voice from anywhere. What do you want, Carmine? You should know that you've already lost."

"This fight doesn't end until the boss says it does," Carmine replied, and she pressed the knife harder on Karumi's neck.

"Bah! Who cares if the brown heads kill each other! I say take the shot!" Frost said.

"I'm warning you!" Carmine yelled back.

"Frost, back off!" Kirk said.

"No, he's right. She'll kill me regardless. Just end her!"

"That may be true, but a little cut here, and a snip there, can mean the difference of quick or slow and painful." Kirk raised his splatling, and charged it up. He pointed it at Carmine, but with her holding Karumi, he hesitated on unloading on her. "Enough, she dies!" Karumi closed her eyes, expecting her skin to be pierced any second. However, when she heard the distinct sound of a knife cutting in to her, she felt no pain. Confused, she opened her eyes again, and saw that Carmine had released her grip. A knife was protruding from Carmine's chest, and since her goggles had fallen off, her eyes looked lifeless. Her body then fell to the flor.

"ROOKIE!" Karumi yelled to the figure that was standing behind Carmine's corpse. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Killing people. What else?" The other Octoling responded with a very insane looking grin. "Hey! Did I do good? I did good right? Who's next?"

"What... the hell is with her?" Frost asked. His expression had changed from a look of disgust, to one of fear.

"Hey! Can he be my next target?" The rookie pointed her Octoshot at frost and said "Pow!". Then she lowered the weapon, and started to walk out of the bridge. "The big Octopus is next, right? I'm going after him. Y'all coming?"

"She's... dangerous," Kirk said, as the group started to follow the violent Octoling.

"From what I heard, she wasn't always like this," Karumi responded. "Her sister was part of the Guardian Corps, and was murdered while on an assignment. She didn't take the news well, and... as you can see, it broke her. I've given up trying to control her at this point."

While marching to the cargo bay, they passed a familiar looking Octoling elite. She lay dead in the hall, and the ground around her was littered with the remains of bomb casings. "I-Is that Colonel Kumi?" Olivia asked. "What happened to her?"

"Oh, I got her a little while ago. That's why I didn't show up sooner. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Damn, Yako. You've been busy." The group entered the cargo bay, and looked for any signs of Octavio. As they passed a stack of crates, a scarred tentacle shot out from under the rubble, and grabbed Osami by the neck. Then another one grabbed Otoha. Holding the two Octolings, DJ Octavio rose up from his hiding spot. He held a pair of Octobrushes in his other tentacles.

"I was wondering how long you little stains were going to keep me waiting. But before we begin, what say we even the odds a bit?" Octavio quickly moved out of range, then he tightened the tentacles that were holding Karumi's underlings, and they could do nothing as he choked the life out of them. He threw the two dead Octolings aside, and readied his brushes, as he jumped into the fray. His first target was Olivia. She froze up at the sight of the massive male Octoling baring down on her with his brush, but a quick throw of a tampered bomb from Karumi cut off his path. "Oh, so you want to go first? That's fine by me." Octavio swerved to the side, and knocked Karumi to the ground with a quick flick of one of his brushes.

"Damn he moves fast!" Frost said, as he tried to get a shot off on him. Octavio knocked away Frost's shots by flicking his tentacles, then lunged at him. Frost barely avoided the attack, then swam back to where Kirk had laid an ink trail for him. "This isn't working! Kirk, do you still have that little keepsake?" Kirk looked back at the inkzooka that he had salvaged from one of his fallen allies, then nodded. "Good. I'll distract him. You just be ready to blast his ass."

"Wait, Frost! That's too dangerous!" Ignoring Kirk, Frost made another trail to Octavio's left flank, then changed forms after swimming to the end.

"This is for Bass, Citra and Sandy!" Frost yelled, as he readied his tentatek splattershot. "Your whole race can die!" Frost charged forward, while unloaded the tentatek.

"You really think that's gonna work?" Octavio said, and flicked away the ink. Octavio jumped at Frost, and slammed the first brush down on him, then swiped with the other. When the Ink cleared, Frost had been thrown clear to the other side of the cargo bay, and he lay dead on a large container. However, with his last breath, Frost left Octavio with one last gift. "GYYAAAA, DAMN HIPSTER GOT LUCKY!" Octavio roared, as he tried to clear the blue ink from his eyes.

"That's more than enough for me," Kirk said, and raised the inkzooka. "This one is for my friends." He fired the first shot. "This is for the squid sisters." He fired the second. "And this is for Inkopolis!" He fired the third. Unable to clearly see, Octavio only managed to avoid two of the shots, and the third hit him directly in the face. Octavio fell backward, and hit the floor hard. His eyes closed, and he went limp. Kirk walked over to check his body, along with Olivia and Karumi, who were both limping. But when they got close enough, Octavio's eyes opened, and he grabbed Kirk by the neck.

"You... little bastard!" Octavio coughed out. "I may be finished, but you... you are all going fir-" Before he could finish, he felt an impact on the side of his head. Surprised, he glanced over, and saw that a tampered suction bomb was stuck to his head. "Oh, shi-" The bomb exploded, and he dropped Kirk. The Inkling immediately rolled left, recovered his splatling, and unloaded on Octavio, along with Karumi. Octavio fell forward, and was dead for real this time.

"Ha...hahahaha!" They turned to the laughing voice, and saw the young Octoling from before standing in place. "I got him! I got the biggest target of them all!" Yako fell backwards and spread out on the steel floor. "That was for you, Otome. I got Octavio, and I killed your killers." She closed her eyes, and fell asleep, much to Karumi's utter shock.

An hour later, Karumi was sitting on a wall over looking the wreckage of the Leviathan. In the distance, the Guardian Corps was busy tending to their wounded, and dealing with the prisoners. Most of the Inklings had returned to Calamari County. "So what happens now?" A voice from the side said. Karumi turned, and saw Kirk sitting next to her.

"That's up to the Emperor," Karumi responded. "Right now... I just want some time to myself."

"Why the long face?" Olivia said, as she joined her captain. "We won! Octavio is gone, and now we don't have to live underground with barely any zapfish!"

"But at what cost?" Karumi responded. "Thousands of our soldiers are dead, the Inklings will be looking for revenge, the city we were supposed to move into is ruined and half my squad was killed." Karumi turned away. "There has to have been a better way."

...

Earth 2016 A.D. Early Winter..

"Think fast, Drake!" A second later, Drake felt a ball of snow hit him on the side of the face. He turned, and saw Marie smirking at him.

"Oh, you want to play that game, huh?" Drake responded, and hurled a snow ball of his own at her. Marie ducked, but didn't see the second one coming at her. It plopped her on the forehead.

"You're so dead!" Marie returned a ball to Drake's face, but he ducked just enough to avoid it, and threw a ball of his own. Marie changed into her squid form to avoid the snowball that was aimed at her chest.

"Now that's just cheating!"

"Hey! Let me get in on this!" Callie said, and came running from the side of the house. She used her tentacles to scoop up a ball, and dropped it in her hands. She threw the ball at Marie, who had ran over to where Drake was, but she pulled him in front of her, and the ball ended up hitting Drake in face. As he wiped the snow from his face, he glanced at Marie, and they nodded to each other. They both bent down, readied a pair of snowballs, and chucked them at Callie. Surprised by this, she took Drake's ball in the belly, and Marie's in the chest.

"Hey! NO GANGING UP!" She yelled, as she continued to dodge and take snow balls. After a few more hits, she fell backwards, and the two ran up to her. "Not cool, guys!" She protested.

"Hey, I owed you that one," Marie responded. "You two haven't been hanging out with me much, since you started dating. But now that I've punished you," she turned back to Drake. "Your turn." Drake put some distance from Marie, as she hammered his back with snow. Callie quickly got up, and joined her cousin in taking shots at Drake.

"Ack! Hey, that, HEY! OW! THAT ONE WAS A SLUSH BALL!" As the ice fell from his face, his left cheek had a rather large red mark.

"Oh crap! Sorry about that, Drake! I didn't know," Marie said, as she wiped the remaining ice from his cheek. Before Drake could respond, both squid sisters jumped, and put their hands on their behinds. They looked behind themselves, and saw fresh snow falling off of their butts. Further back, Shara and Kelly were hiding behind a large lump of snow, and both wore evil grins. The squids sisters exchanged glances, then looked at Drake. They all nodded, and turned their attention to the two hiding behind their little barricade. The three readied snow balls, and charged in.

After 10 or so minutes of beating each other up with snow, Hannah came out to break up the battle. "Okay, break it up, kiddies. The taxi will be here in a few minutes. I have the girls' spare clothes in my luggage, and Brandon is ready. Are you all packed, Drake?"

"Yeah, I'm ready any time. Let's go over what's going to happen one more time." Drake turned to the 4 girls. "We can't fit you all in the taxi normally, so we'll have to stuff you in our luggage. Sorry, but you will have to stay there until we're on board the project's private jet. Once in the air, you can probably get out and roam around until we land. When the jet arrives, you need to be back inside our bags. I'm willing to bet that our bags will be searched, so if they do, stay in squid forms and remain perfectly still. If they think you are just stuffed dolls, then we should be able to sneak you in. Everyone got that?"

"I can take two in my bags, and Drake and Brandon can each take one. We all know who Callie is going with, so I'll take the orange and brown cuties." The humans went back in to collect their belongings and bring them outside while waiting for the taxi. When Drake came back out, he saw Callie still standing by herself.

"What's wrong?" Drake asked.

"Just taking it all in," Callie responded, and turned to him. "I didn't know what to think when I first came here. I was scared, and I thought we were finished when your father caught us. But you took care of us, and it's been really fun living with you. I even had my first kiss here." Callie blushed, then turned away. She let herself fall on the snow, then started moving her hands and tentacles up and down.

"Heh. Now what are you doing?"

"I made a snow Callie!" She said, and relaxed her arms. "Now I left my mark." Drake bent down and pulled her up. when she got on her feet, he pulled her into a deep kiss that she happily returned.

"I would say that you already left your mark," Drake said, as the two separated. Callie gave him a bright smile, and he rubbed the top of her head. "But now the taxi is going to be here any minute.

"Right. See you on the other side, Drake! Let's go save us some humans!" Still smiling, Callie deteriorated her form, and she went back into being a basic squid. Drake quickly picked her up, and stuffed her into on of his bags, just as the taxi pulled up. The three loaded up their bags, then set off for the airport. The trip itself was quiet and uneventful. When they reached the airport, they quickly loaded their baggage into the jet's cargo hold. Since the project's jet wasn't under the normal transportation laws, they didn't have to check their bags, or go through the normal terminal.

"Holy crap! This is so much nicer than normal commercial flights," Brandon said, as they eyed the inside of the jet. The jet itself, was even more fancy than the first class cabins on normal flights, and they had the whole craft to themselves, say for the flight crew.

"Yeah, Takeshi is going to be pissed when he finds out he missed this," Drake chimed in. "I think he had to take a normal flight from Japan."

"I'm just worried about the girls," Hannah added when they had taken off. Under the aircraft, the zippers on three bags were slowly being undone. After a few minutes, Callie, Marie, Shara, and Kelly, all crawled out of their respective bags, and changed into their bipedal form.

"Whaa! This is no way to fly!" Callie complained.

"You think that's bad? A certain somebody kept putting her tentacles on my face!" Shara said, and glanced at Kelly.

"Considering where your tentacles kept hitting, be glad I didn't bite you!"

"Who cares about that?" Marie said, and got their attention. "What do we do now? They said this was going to be a long flight."

"Oh! I got just the thing!" Callie said, and reached into Drake and Brandon's bags. "They said we could play these!" She handed out several different handheld gaming devices to the other girls. "It's the handheld version of the kart racing game!"

"OH COME ON!" Marie growled.

Many hours later, the plane landed at the valley village that the project used as a hub. "This is going to take some serious getting used to," Brandon said, as they got off the plane. Even in the valley, the environment was arid, dusty, and lighter on oxygen, due to the altitude.

"It's not so bad once you get inside," one of the crewman said. "Your ride is over there." He pointed to an armored personnel carrier that bore the project's symbol on the side. The three walked up to the security officer that was waiting for them outside the APC.

"Von Kaufmann? Ramsey? Finn?" The guard asked, and they nodded in response. "Well, I'm officer Lehrer. Hop in, and we'll get you to your new home." After securing their luggage, the APC left the valley town, and climbed the trucking route that had been excavated into the valley wall. After about 20 minutes, the APC pulled to a stop.

"We're here already? I don't see anything," Brandon noted.

"Take a look over there," Lehrer said, and pointed to a large rock. "There's an emergency exit next to that rock, and if you look to the far left, you will see the ramp that leads to the garage and main entrance." As he said, there was a man made ramp that lead down to the small cliff side. The cliff had been excavated, and a large heavy door was built into the side. To the right of the large door, was a smaller one made for human traffic. As the APC pulled up to the door, Lehrer said something into his radio, and the doors opened. The APC entered the motor pool, and parked next to a similar vehicle. As they disembarked, several more security guards approached them.

"Drake Von Kaufmann? Hannah Ramsey? Brandon Finn?" The one that appeared to be the leader said. "I'm Captain Tran, chief of security. Welcome to Project Eden." The three shook hands with the captain. "I know you just got here, but I want to get the interviews out of the way. It's just a formality, considering who recommended you. But first, we need to check your bags." They handed their luggage over to the other guards, who began to rifle through them. At one point, the guard who was going through Drake's bags pulled out Callie, who was in her squid form and perfectly still. The guard gave Drake a odd look.

"It was a gift from my sister. Pretty unique, isn't it?" The guard shrugged, and put Callie back in the bag. After being cleared, they were lead to another part of the base, and right up to the base commander's office.

"We'll start with you," Tran said, and lead Drake into the office. Drake sat down at the chair that was facing a large desk in the center of the room. On the other sides, were 6 figures.

"I'm Chairman Tony Henderson, project director," the first one said.

"General Suji Tani, military liaison and base commander," the second said.

"Foreman Luis Salazar, head of maintenance," said the third.

"Commander Brigitte Mclarrin, head of operations," said the fourth. "I'm sure you already know the chief of security, Captain Tran, and the head of science, your father."

"I'll get the most important question out of the way first," Captain Tran started. "Most of the security team is of non military origin, in order to insure loyalty to the project above all else. If things go bad, other governments may try to interfere with, hijack, or sabotage the project. That includes the U.S. The Eden facility is your new home. Are you ready to defend it from your own kind, if need be?"

Drake glanced at the people interviewing him. They all waited for his answer with expectations. "Yes. I am prepared to do what is needed to survive. I harbor no loyalty to any government." This response earned him a few awkward glances, but they seemed content with his answer. The rest of the interview was rather standard, and once they had finished, the heads talked among themselves, then turned back to Drake.

"We have no objections to recruiting you for the security team," Henderson said. Though, Mclarrin and Salazar looked like they wanted to say otherwise. "However, Chief Tran has the final say."

"I like the look in the kid's eye. Consider yourself hired," Tran said.

"We won't be able to start your training until next week," General Tani added. "We will be out doing inspections of the administration office in the states, including Tran. You, and the other recruits can use the spare crew rooms until we get you set up in the security barracks, as well as get you your uniforms and equipment. Until then, I suggest get familiar with the facility."

"You can go now. Send the next one in on your way out," Mclarrin said in a rather dismissive tone. As Drake left the room, he turned towards Brandon.

"I'm done in there. You're next."

"I know that voice," someone said from behind. Drake turned to the guy who had addressed him. "Drake. You're Drake aren't you?"

"Wait a minute... Reggie?" The two stared at each other, wide eyed. "Holy shit! How did you get here?"

"They sent us a letter, about a month ago. Said a Von Kaufmann recommended us to the security force," another voice said. "I'm Justin, by the way." He turned to a third person behind him. "And that would be Matt."

"They dragged us all the way from Florida. This had better be worth it," Matt said.

"So how did the interview go? Are you in?" Reggie asked.

"Yeah. Apart from the first question, it was pretty straight forward."

"Well that's good to know. Then again, if Takeshi got accepted, I don't think we have anything to worry about," Matt scoffed.

"Well, as much as I would like to talk, I have to get unpacked."

"Right! We'll catch up in the cafeteria! You owe us an explanation on your absence!" Reggie said, as Drake left. After walking down the concrete hall ways for several minutes, he located the room that Mclarrin had temporarily assigned him to. He noticed that the guards had already dropped off his luggage in front of the door. He took it inside the room, and unzipped the bag that Callie was hiding in. Almost immediately, he was jumped by a pink squid, who quickly shifted back into her humanoid form.

"WHHHAAAA! FINALLY!" She cried, and grabbed on to Drake. "When that guy picked me up, I thought I was toast!"

"You did good, Callie," Drake responded, as he held her. "We made it to Project Eden."

"Yup! We sure did!" Callie said. Just then, Drake noticed that despite her smile, tears were slowly starting to fall from Callie's eyes.

"W-what's wrong, Callie? We're so close to putting your plan into action."

"I- I know, but... I got to thinking about, what your dad said about... paradoxes and all that stuff about changing time- Don't look at me like that! I can know stuff too!" Callie gave him a dirty pout, and Drake rubbed her tentacles as an apology. "B-but even if we can save both our races... w-we're going to disappear, aren't we?" She looked up at him, and her expression was one of fear. Something that Drake hadn't seen since the first day she had been brought to his father's lab. "I- I don't want that! I don't want to be separated from you, or Marie! It scares me to think I might forget you..."

"I don't either, Callie. But this is what we decided on. I... just have to hope that doesn't happen." For quite some time, they just held each other close. Neither of them said anything, until Callie broke the silence.

"I really feel safe like this. You, Marie and gramps are so good to me." She put her cheek up against his, and Drake give her a light kiss. "And you're so warm. It's like when I slept on Judd that one time in the studio."

"Wait, how do you know Judd?" Drake asked. As if on cue, they heard a 'meow' from under the bed. A large ball of fur climbed out from underneath. Curious about the commotion, it jumped up on the bed, and started rubbing it's head on Drake's arm. "Well, hey, little guy. How'd you get in here?" Drake said, as he rubbed the cat's head.

"J-J-Judd!" Callie said, and her eyes went wide. "How did you get here? What's going on in Inkopolis? Is gramps safe? Are the kids okay?" The cat just returned her barrage of questions with a blank look, while getting his head stroked.

"Whoa! Calm down there, Callie. It's just a cat. He can't understand you."

"But.. Judd knows how to speak. You can speak, right?" Callie asked the cat. Again, no response.

"Are you sure you have the right Judd?"

"The Judd in my time knows how to communicate with us. He even judges our turf wars! I mean, he's an old guy, but he's so awesome! And this cat looks just like him!"

"I'm not saying I don't believe you, but maybe it's a completely different Judd? He clearly can't understand you." Judd lost interest in what was going on, and jumped over to the other side of the bed. He then curled up into a ball, and closed his eyes.

"Maybe you're right," Callie said. "I feel a bit silly now. Our Judd also has a much bigger head."

"No harm done. We're all probably just a little over excited about what's going to go down tomorrow." Callie stood up, and inched closer to Drake. She then sat down on his lap.

"I know I should probably be out of sight, but before we go to bed, can I stay like this a little longer?"

"Sure, Callie." Drake responded, and held her. The two ended up falling asleep in that position, despite the danger of being discovered.

...

In Manfred's lab, he was mulling over the new data that Doctor Harkov had provided him with, as well as the fresh samples he took from the Inkling named Shara and the Octoling Kelly. Like with the squid sisters, they had a substance in them that should not exist yet. After taking the bits of the sample that was missing from his own formula, he added the finishing touches he needed to complete his side project.

"This is what I was missing from the mutagen. I just need to test it, but if it works, it will confirm that they evolved from the experiment. But if that's the case, how did it leak into the ocean?" As Manfred pondered this, the door to the lab opened, and John walked in. Manfred quickly put away the formula. "Evening John. Got the prototype ready for me?"

"You bet!" John responded. "Got to make sure we have all the bugs ironed out in time. Come over here, and we'll give it a test run, sir." The two walked over to where the early model cryobed was, and started putting it through its paces.


	10. Final Chapter - Legacies and Preludes

**Author's notes: More and more, I find myself wishing I had the time and talent to make visuals for my stories. Comics, animations, scene posters, or even just the resources for the game I wanted to make. Maybe I'll have to take one of those things up sometime, but then there's the time situation. Can't really take that stuff to work. But enough ranting. Enjoy the last chapter of FoH. Remember to check out the sidelines story on Splatoon amino, and look up SplatKraken's fan art.**

Earth 2016 A.D.

The next day, everyone had gathered in the Eden facility command center. Since the other department heads were out of the facility, Manfred was left in charge of the entire base. He used his authority to give the operations crew a few days off, and insisted that the room be cleared out. Cleared out, except for those involved in the plan. Numerous advanced cameras and audio devices had been placed around the area where the squid sisters were to perform that were usually used for press conferences.

"I can't get over how cute they are in those outfits!" Takeshi said, as he wiped the drool from his face.

"You really have a one track mind," Drake responded and shook his head at his friend. "But I agree. They are quite stunning." Callie and Marie were wearing reproduced versions of their stage outfits that Hannah had made them. They were currently doing vocal warm ups, while they waited for Takeshi to coordinate the set up with his uncle in Chiba.

"I'm so nervous!" Callie said, noticing the glances she was getting. "Performing for the el- the humans is-"

"Sheesh, Callie," Marie responded with a sassy look. "I can't even remember the last time YOU got nervous about performing. Oh, yes I do. It was-"

"Don't you say it!"

"Uncle says we're about ready to start," Takeshi said, interrupting their banter.

"Well, I guess it's now or ne-" Suddenly stopping mid sentence, Marie's eyes went wide, and the color drained from her face.

"Marie? What's wrong?" Hannah asked.

"I.. I just remembered! We only practice our songs in our own language! We can't sing in human!"

"That may be fore the better," Brandon said.

"Huh? Seriously?"

"Yeah, your singing voices are beautiful. That's all we need. And considering what we are trying to do, they may get more into it this way," Hannah added.

"B-but how are we supposed to warn them about the pollution?"

"We have the script all ready written down. Takeshi will be translating in real time, and we'll save that talk till around the end," Drake answered, and he glanced over to Takeshi, who was sitting at the communications station.

"I got this, dudes! And on that note, it's time to start!"

"Ohhhh! I hope I don't screw up!" Callie said, as she composed herself.

"Take it easy, Callie. You can do this," Drake said to reassure her.

"Thanks, Drake!" Shara and Kelly, who were manning the cameras, aimed the lenses on the two. On the screen to the left of the com station, they could see the Chiba stage from the audience's perspective. The squid sisters came into view on the holographic screen. Callie quickly put on a smile, and Marie forced herself into her stage persona.

"Wow, this hall is huge! I would love to do battle here!" Callie said. She waved to the crowd, or rather to the camera.

"Yeah, but with this size, you won't be getting done in three minutes," Marie said in her native tongue. Takeshi was typing furiously into the console to keep up with the chatter.

"I wonder how many attendees we got?"

"Enough to make me nervous..."

"Really? I'm just fine!"

"Oh? Then what was all that heavy breathing?"

"T-that was just a warm up exercise!"

"Yeah, sure. Breathing Exercises," Marie said with her signature smirk. She made a gesture at Takeshi, and he signaled the band to start the first song, Ink Me Up. The crowd was a little dubious at first, but as the song went on, they got more in more into it.

"Take these," Takeshi whispered to the other humans.

"Is this a glow stick? The hell do we need these for?" Brandon asked, giving Takeshi a weird look.

"Because we need to do it right!" For the 4 humans in the control room, it was like the concert was just for them. When the first song ended, they immediately moved to the next song, Now or Never. By now, the crowd in the hall was in full swing, and the people in the command center were just as into it. Even Manfred shed a tear at one point. The song finished, and the squid sisters continued their dialogue.

"Good Evening! I'm Callie!"

"And I'm Marie!"

"And together, we make the squid sisters!"

"Stay fresh!" They both said and made their pose.

"We come from a big city of squids in the future, Inkopolis!"

"We have all sorts of cool things there."

"Oh, Marie! Do a pun!"

"No way! That sounds punbearable."

"Sorry, sorry! But there sure are a lot of humans here."

"Yeah, maybe as big as splatfest!" With Marie's signal, they continued with their next song, City of Color. The audience's excitement continued to grow.

"By the way, we're actually cousins," Callie continued, after the song ended.

"Yeah, same age even. Though I was borne first!"

"We've been singing since we won the folk singing contest together!"

"Gramps was really proud of us that day."

"We're really happy that we finally get to perform for the humans today, on such an amazing stage!"

"Thank you all!"

"But we have something serious we need to talk to you about. Please keep that in mind as we pour our memories into the next song." Callie gave the signal, and Maritime memory started. It was slower than the other songs, but nobody thought the worst for it.

"Now for the moment of truth," Drake muttered after the song ended.

"Alright, our live show is almost at an end!" Callie said.

"Time sure flows fast! It feels like we just got started." Marie added.

"Performing here has been great, but speaking of time, we need to talk about what happens in the future."

"It doesn't look good for us. Pollution left behind by the humans, has forced us to go to war over what little land is left in our time."

"We fought our enemies, the Octarians, once, and now they are back for revenge!"

"It's getting bad."

"We once used to have peaceful relations with them, but the ocean continues to rise, and.."

"We had no choice. Now both races are on the brink of destroying each other. All because of the polluted waters and limited land. I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but you all need to clean up!"

"Please keep that in mind as you listen to our last song. Remember that we can't sing if we are doomed to be destroyed! Please continue to support us from now on!"

"Please..." On Marie's cue, the final song started. Calamari Inkantation. The same song they used to help Levin and Shara defeat D.J. Octavio the first time around. While they were disappointed that the performance came to an end, the crowd cheered even harder. All they could do, was hope they took their words to heart.

"How did you all like squid sisters live 2016?" Callie asked.

"We really gave it our all," Marie said.

"Thanks for watching everyone!"

"Oh, Callie. I just noticed you didn't mess up any of your lines this time."

"Hey! Easy there Cal- I MEAN- DANG IT, MARIE!"

"Pffff!"

"Anyway, Thank you very much. Please remember what we said, and make an effort to change yourselves. Maybe sometime we will have humans in Inkopolis." The two waved, and exited the stage, as the holographic camera was turned off, and Takeshi finished typing up the remaining translations. The feed from the command center was cut, and the concert ended. The squid sisters turned to their friends, and were met with immediate applause.

"That was amazing, you two. I'm really glad we got to see you perform for real," Drake said.

"T-thank you," Callie said with a blush.

"Yeah! You two were awesome out there! You're my new favorite singers!" The excited Hannah chimed in.

"T-that really means a-a lot to us. We really do put everything into our dances," Marie said, who was also embarrassed now that the adrenaline wore off.

"So what happens now?" Brandon asked.

"Now we wait and see if anything happens. We'll need to see what kind of feed back you two get, before we can make plans for the next event," Manfred responded.

"Whaaaaattt? We have to do more?" Callie asked.

"Humans aren't going to change so easy. It's going to take more than one concert in one region," Brandon said.

"So we get to see them perform up close and personal, again?" Shara asked, as they finished putting the camera's away with Drake's help. "I've been to their concerts before, but only once did I ever get this close. I wish the blue idiot could have been here for this."

"I'm just glad I got to see it live at all," Kelly chimed in. She was relaxing in one of the chairs, and looked pretty worn out from all the excitement. "Us underground dwellers, only ever get to see them on the screen."

"Wait, WHAT?! T-the Octarians watch our performances?" Marie said, and looked completely stunned. Callie chuckled a little at her reaction.

"Didn't I tell you? We get your broadcasts down in Octoburg. A lot of them won't admit to it, but most of us love you two. We even have our own knockoff duo."

"That... is feedback I was not expecting."

"Speaking of feedback," Takeshi said from the communications console. "Looks like we're already getting it. My Uncle said that people are already signing up for extended recycling programs and talking about emission reduction. He wants to have another concert tomorrow, and we also have an offer coming from Paris, France."

"Woooow! Really?" Callie's eyes were wide and very surprised.

"Yeah, and- Holy crap!" Takeshi turned back to the com terminal. "Now we have two more coming in from the U.S. and one from England. Now there's one from Germany, one from Russia... and even Australia! Told you they were gonna be big!"

"I have an idea that might boost the rest of your shows," Drake said, and they all turned to him. "How about we break out your singles?"

"What?! They have singles?!" Shara shouted.

"Y-yeah, but... I mean they are finished.. but-"

"We haven't practiced enough. And we have no idea how they will go over with the audience." Marie finished for her cousin.

"I've heard both of your songs. Trust me, they will be great. We have the rest of the day to practice."

"W-well, if that's what you really think.. we'll do it. I trust you, Drake," Marie said.

"Sounds like you two will be busy the next few days," Brandon said. And busy they were. After their repeat performance in Tokyo, they moved on to Paris, New York, Dallas, London, Berlin, and Moscow. On the final day, they put all their effort into their last show in Sydney. As Drake expected, Bomb Rush Blush and Tide Goes Out, were big hits.

"We did it," the tired Marie said after the last concert. "We made it through all those shows."

"Now we just have to hope it works, and that both our races can have their futures changed for the better," Hannah said.

"I hope so, because the rest of the senior staff will be back today, and we aren't going to have time to do anything else," Manfred added.

"Worst comes to worst, we can fall back on the cryo plan," Brandon said, and turned to his side. "That's what Shara want- HEY, SHARA!" Everyone turned to look at the orange squid, and they knew why Brandon had shouted. Her body looked like it was turning transparent, similar to the projections in the live concert.

"W-w-w-what's happening to me!" She yelped. Her legs were now completely invisible, and what ever was happening, was starting to creep up her torso.

"She's.. disappearing!" Takeshi said with utter shock. "Does this mean... we did it? The plan worked?"

"I'm... going to vanish? Then... this means we saved both races, right? We're not all going to just cease to exist, right?" Shara's expression quickly became panicked.

"Relax, Shara. We're just going back to our own time. Or what ever our time has changed into." Shara's expression relaxed a little, and she nodded, just before her body completely vanished. "But in case we aren't." Kelly turned back to the humans and looked Drake in the eye behind her goggles. Her body was almost gone as well, as everything but her chest and head had vanished. "Earn this!" She said, and disappeared.

"Marie! You-" Callie screeched. Marie's body had started to follow the same pattern, and her legs were fading.

"It's okay, Callie," she responded. "We're going to be okay." She turned to the humans. "Thank you for taking care of us, and for being our friends. I don't know what we would have done with out you. And Drake-" She turned to him, and offered a genuine smile. Half of her body was now gone. "Thanks for putting up with my crap. I'm glad we met."

"Is that all you want to say?" Callie asked. "I won't be mad."

"How... did you know?"

"Because we're cousins! The squid sisters!"

"Right, sisters. You'd better not leave me alone then. But no. That's for me only. I'll just say, that I hope we meet again. All of you." Marie waved, just as her body completely vanished.

"We'll... be outside," Hannah said, and pushed the other humans out of the command center, leaving Drake alone with Callie. She turned to him, and had tears in her eyes.

"I.. suppose I'm next," she said in a low voice. "I don't want to leave Marie alone, but... I don't want to leave you, either! I'm scared!"

"I know Callie." Drake did all he could, and that was to pull the shivering girl into his arms. He could tell that her body was starting to fade out.

"We'll meet again, right? You won't forget me?"

"I wish I could promise that, Callie, but we don't know how timelines work. This was never supposed to happen in the first place. But-" He pulled Callie into a kiss. "I will do my best to not let you completely disappear from my life."

"Then... promise me. Even if we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend again. Even if it's only once, promise me that we will meet again!"

"I.."

"Swear it!" Callie stuck her pinkie out, which was a rather cute gesture. Drake stuck his hand out, and took it with his own.

"We will meet again," Drake said. Callie did her best to smile.

"I'll hold you to that!" By now, over half her body had disappeared. "I guess it's my time now. Bye bye, Drake!" She forced a smile, and Drake started to break down.

"C-Callie! Don't go! I can't lose anyone else! And... I haven't told you about Alice yet!"

"Then you have to keep your promise, okay? I love you, Drake!" With that, Callie was gone. Drake stood in place, staring at the spot Callie had been standing in for some time, until the door opened, and his friends walked back in.

"What was that noise we heard?" Brandon asked. Drake turned and gave him a puzzled look. "Are you... crying?"

"What the... I... don't know. Something must have gotten me in the eye." He paused for several seconds. "And I could have sworn that someone was in here just now."

"Well this is no time to be spacing out, dude!" Takeshi cut in. "We finally get our uniforms and weapons today!"

"Boys and their toys," Hannah said with an eye roll. The four left the now empty command center.

...

The squids were gone, but the effect they had on the people had survived the paradox effect. The humans had put in an effort to clean up the environment, but it was too late to stop the fall. All they had managed to do, was buy themselves another year. The meltdown of 2016 was postponed to late august of 2017. But this was just enough to insure the completion of the cryogenic pods, as well as one of the Eden space craft, which was a giant version of the space shuttle.

"I promise that we will come back for you and the others. Take care, Drake."

While the humans on the shuttle were later deemed lost, about 100 people were able to sleep it off in the cryogenic pods, instead of being buried alive. But something happened that wasn't supposed to. The humans ended up sleeping for around 12,000 years. While this had cost them 30 more lives, the remaining 70 created an event that would change the course of the Oceanic war.

"Guys! Get over here! She's alive!"

For a human and Octoling, it was a chance encounter, and a single life saved.

"Mahi- name- idi- Otome."

While the memories were gone, the effect of the time ripple would be permanent.

"Hey, Marie! What is that?"

"I see it too. It can't be an Octarian, can it?"

And one effect, would be a promise kept.

"T-thank you! I was so afraid that you would hate me. My name is Callie. I'm an Inkling."

Another would be preventing Octavio's plot.

"Corporal Maroon! Tomorrow, I want you to escort the squid sisters to Octoburg. And bring the elder race man with you."

Another would be the bond between three separate races.

"I finally got Otome to accept me! I'm not going to leave my friend behind."

That developed into a near family.

"I mean, I'm sad, but you still said you love me! I always wanted a big brother!"

At the cost of a previous relationship.

"I'm sorry, Callie. You remind me too much of my late sister. I'm sorry for lying, but you need someone who will protect you from ever crying again. I am not that man."

While others blossomed.

"You wanted an offer? Well here is mine!"

And others were torn apart.

"I'm going to make him pay. The chairman has to die for this."

And some simply disappeared.

"I should have been the one to die on that ship, not Hannah! I killed her!"

And some changes that can never be explained.

"I haven't forgiven you for killing Olivia, but we will pay our debt."

But regardless of how things could have turned out.

"You've been one of my best friends and a trusted partner, but I can't set aside my feelings anymore. I don't care what others think. I love you."

Humanity fell, but a legacy rose from the ashes.

"I take back what I said. And isn't being devious MY job?"

...

Earth 2021 O.S.C.

I must conclude that the concept of time manipulation is something that was never meant to be harnessed. The elder race clearly did not venture into this territory, and our efforts have never born any fruitful results. Even if it were possible to manipulate time, do we ever stop and think if we should? Imagine if it fell into the hands of someone like General Octavio, the Octarian who almost reignited the great turf war.

I also recommend that we cease all research on the rainmaker. While the majority of our test have been inconclusive, we have had far too many accidents in the past few months. These devices left by our ancestors are clearly dangerous, and I do not believe we should be messing with what few artifacts we have. We may also consider retiring the devices as league play weapons. Lastly, I recommend dismissing the claims that the rainmaker carries the secret of time manipulation, as mere fantasy by our more enthusiastic scientists. I look forward to starting our next project in a different field.

Dr. Inkstein, Grizzco Industries.

"I think that about does it," The older male Inkling said, as he finished typing up his report. He stuck it on the pile incoming reports for the boss on the secretary's desk. She looked up at him, as he got ready to head out to his next appointment.

"Heading out, doctor? Your next meeting is with the chancellor and the humans, right?" She asked.

"Yes, Violet. It's been two years, and the Chancellor is still slowing things down as much as possible. I don't see how he thinks we can have good relations with the E.C.S. if this is the way he's going to treat our neighbors."

"The elder race creeps me out, to be honest. They should have just stayed a mystery, if you ask me. Don't trust them one bit," Violet responded with a scowl.

"I'm shocked at you, Violet. Think of what we could, and have already learned from them. We've already seen a few interesting pet projects between them and Sheldon, and don't forget that they helped us deal with the tentatek militia. I'll agree that their leader, Manfred, is a little odd, but some of them can be pretty refreshing."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it! I'll keep them at arms length, thank you!" She scoffed. Inkstein rolled his eyes, and started to leave the office.

"Suit yourself. I'm heading out, so try to keep out of trouble." The doctor left Grizzco's building, and headed into the streets. As he started moving towards his car, he caught sight of one of the humans. He immediately knew who it was, when he also saw an Octoling tagging along. "Drake. Manfred's son, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me. Do.. I know you?" Drake asked, and gave the Inkling a curious look.

"I'm Doctor Inkstein from Grizzco. I've met with your father a few times. Actually, I'm on my way to meet him now." He turned to the Octoling. "And.. what was your name again, miss..?"

"Otome. If you don't mind, we're a little preoccupied at the moment," she responded, and looked away.

"Wait, shouldn't you be with your father?" Inkstein asked.

"I'm off duty today, so someone else is escorting him," Drake responded.

"Then is something troubling you?" The human and Octoling exchanged looks.

"We're... looking for someone," Otome said. "Someone that's been missing since this morning."

"Since this morning? Shouldn't you call the police? If you tell me who it is, I'll file the report for you," Inkstein gave them a concerned look, but the two hesitated before answering.

"We... aren't ready to the authorities involved yet, but..." Drake looked directly into Inkstein's eye. "Promise to keep this to yourself, for now?" Inkstein nodded in response. "The missing person, is Callie. We were supposed to meet her at the train station before she left for Calamari County, but she never showed up, and the people that work there didn't see her either."

"Are you telling me that we have a squid sister vanishing on us? I can see why you would want to keep this quiet for the time being." Inkstein paused for a few moments to collect his thoughts. "I'll see if I can get any information while I'm at the meeting, and contact you if I hear anything."

"Otome, can you give him your number?"

"Ugh, I guess. If it's for Callie." The Octoling gave the older Inkling her phone number, and her and Drake headed back towards the plaza.

"This place sure has gotten empty, now that people are migrating to.. what did Marie call it? The square?" Drake said, as they moved over to the vending machines.

"Yeah, those squids sure are flaky," Otome responded with a shrug. "But I wonder what happened to the shop keepers? I haven't seen them in a while."

"Sheldon moved to the square, and I heard Crusty Sean bought a food truck. Last time I talked to Annie, she said that she was switching from retail, to custom online orders." The two stood in silence, as they finished their soft drinks.

"Yako is going to be disappointed," Otome said, as she took another sip. "She wanted to play with Callie when she got back. I swear, she's seventeen, and still acts like a kid."

"Gotta admit, it kinda does give her a Callie like charm," Drake said with a light smile.

"Don't even try to compare them," Otome responded, and laughed a little. "But I see what you mean, and I guess I can't deny it." She looked up, and locked eyes with Drake. "We haven't gotten to see Callie much lately. You miss her, yeah?"

"Of course I do! Aren't you worried about her too?"

"Very much so. But... You still... like her, don't you?" Otome gave Drake a very anxious look, and he sighed.

"I'll be honest. Yes, a part of me still feels that way. But I have you, and that's more than I deserve. She deserves better than me, as well. Besides, I meant what I told her, and we're like family now. You know this. I would never leave you."

"Yeah.. you're right. Sorry." Otome mentally slapped herself, as she relaxed. "You can't really blame me for comparing myself to a squid sister. But, either way, we'll get her back."

"Damn right we will. But first we have to figure out where she is." Then Drake looked down, and remembered that the nearby man hole leads to Octovalley.

"You don't think..." Otome said, as she noticed Drake's gaze.

"Only one way to find out." The two jumped down, and followed the pipe to Octovalley. As they emerged on the other end, they noticed that the place was completely deserted, and there was no sign of Callie.

"I guess we should check in with the geezer," Otome said, as they approached cuttlefish's shack. They knocked several times, but never got a response. After waiting a few minutes, they decided to let themselves in. "Old man, you in here?" No answer. After searching the shack, they went back outside. Then they noticed something that shouldn't have been there. The orb that once contained Octavio. And it was shattered.

"What.. the hell? Why is that here? I thought they inklings jailed him?" Drake asked. He placed a hand on his handgun holster.

"It must be because of the recent terrorist attacks," Otome said, glaring at the broken orb. "Kirel said that they were moving Octavio to another location, because the insurgents were claiming that they would attack the prison, but why would they move him here? Cuttlefish clearly couldn't handle guard duty again."

"I don't know, but I just hope he's only away from his home right now," Drake said, giving the shack a look of concern.

"Then he picked a hell of a time to go on vacation," Otome said with a sigh. "I guess we should call Marie about this."

"Not yet," Drake responded, and turned to her. "She won't be able to make it back until tomorrow, and I don't want to concern her. Besides, their birthdays are coming up, so let's not spoil it yet."

"Playboy," Otome rolled her eyes at him. "But then who am I supposed to call?"

"Well, Levin and Shara are technically retired, and Kirk is... that only leaves the current agent 3... the former agent 6."

"Neptune.." Both of them sighed. "Fine. I'll give her a-"

"IMMA REMIX YOUR FACE!" A sudden voice boomed. Otome felt two tentacles wrap around her face, and a figure latch on to her back.

"WHAT THE HELL, NEPTUNE?! DAMN YOU, GET OFFA ME!" Otome roared.

"Got yah, again!" Neptune said. She quickly hopped off of Otome before she could grab her, and changed back into her bipedal form. She had a rather smug look on her face.

"Since you're here," Drake said, as he shook his and face-palmed. "I'm guessing you were listening in. Callie is missing, and it looks like cuttlefish is too."

"Yeah, I know. What do you think I've been doing all day?"

"What? YOU were working?" Otome said, with a stunned expression.

"Hey! I may be a Marie girl, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna leave Callie hanging!" Neptune snapped. Drake gave her a closer look, and saw that she looked rather tired. "I've been all over Octovalley and Ceph, and I haven't seen any sign of them."

"Oh, right. Sorry Neptune," Drake said."

"Hmpf! Well, you owe me a cake as an apology!" Neptune said, and puffed her cheeks out.

"Wait, why am I getting punished!?"

"Alright," Otome said, breaking the argument up. "If she's not in Octovalley, maybe we should try OctoCanyon."

"Octo..? Where is that?" Drake asked.

"It's at the far end of Octovalley and on the other side of Inkopolis. You know how most of the valley is residential and agriculture? Well, the canyon has most of our industrial facilities. Though, if Octavio has Callie and he took her there, this could get ugly." Otome said.

"Then lead on. I wanna get this done already," Neptune said. After going back to Inkopolis and cutting through the square, they arrived at OctoCanyon. The area they arrived in on the Inklings side, looked like some sort of festival grounds, and was Asian looking in origin.

"What went on here?" Drake asked, as he looked around.

"It's the new annual joint festival," Otome chimed in. "This year was going to be the first one, but it might be canceled because of the terrorist attacks. I was really hoping... you and I could.. go together." Otome's face went red, and she looked to the side.

"Perhaps we can, if we find Callie quickly," Drake responded. "It will make a nice date, and we can look for a birthday gift for her and Marie at the same time."

"Oh, blech!" Neptune said, and stuck her tongue out. "But you're right about needing to find Callie quickly." They moved to another area, and stumbled upon an Octarian Kettle. Neptune turned back to her companions. "Well, this is a good a place to start as any. Away we go!" She said, and hopped in. The Kettle came to life, and shot her down the Octarian tunnel. Otome and Drake exchanged glances, and Otome opened up the hatch.

"I have a real bad feeling about this," Drake said to himself, as he waited for Otome. "Please be okay, Callie. I'm not going to lose another sister."

"You won't. Not on my watch!" Otome said. She reached out a tentacle, and yanked Drake into the Kettle. As they shot down the tunnel, neither of them gave thought to the nightmare that awaited them. A nightmare that would lead to an incident that would make the battle 2 years ago look like a day at the turf wars.

**Welp, that's the end of The Fall of Humanity. Hope you enjoyed this little quirky prequel. Be sure to let me know what you thought about it.**

**The Fall of Humanity was written by Drew Larsen. Splatoon is owned by Nintendo.**


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